Violet
by Quill Sparkle
Summary: Bilbo Baggins wasn't the only hobbit in Thorin's company. His best friend Violet Greenhill who has lived with him for more than ten years, accompanies him to help reclaim a homeland with a group of dwarves led by Thorin Oakenshield. They'll face goblins, Wargs, deadly Orcs, wargs, and deadly spiders, and the dragon Smaug. Added with re-written stuff from second book.
1. Chapter 1: There Lived Two Hobbit

**Title: Indigo Flower of the Valley**

 **Series:** Violet series

 **No. in series:** 1

 **OCs:** Violet Greenhill

 **Summary:** Violet Greenhill accompanies her best friend on an adventure that changes her life forever. This is a venture in a life time to reclaim a homeland with a group of dwarves led by the dwarf Lord, Thorin Oakenshield. They'll face goblins, Wargs, deadly Orcs, wicked trolls, and Elves to survive there part of the journey. Can they succeed or will they fail. First in the Violet Greenhill series.

 **Disclaimer:** The Hobbit, it's characters and settings and plotline originally goes to J.R.R Tolkien, Peter Jackson and Warner Brothers. I only own my OC, Violet Greenhill

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **There Lived Two Hobbits…**

 _ **April 25, TA 2941…**_

Bilbo Baggins did his regularly sitting out and enjoying the fresh air and smoking smoke rings. He offered for Violet to come out with him, but she passed. He forgot she did not like smoking. "Good morning," Bilbo said tothe wizard.

"What do you mean?" the Older man asked. "Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning? Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?"

"All of them at once, I suppose," Bilbo said. "Can I help you?"

"It remains to be seen," Gandalf said, he looked at Bilbo in a strange way. "I'm looking for someone or two to share in an adventure."

Violet brought down her book and listened to him.

"An adventure? No, I don't imagine anyone west of Bree, would have much interest in adventures," Bilbo said. He went to his mailbox. "Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner!"

He looked through the mail, pretending the wizard was not there.

"Good morning!" Bilbo said, starting to walk back to the door.

"To think that I should have lived to be good- morninged by Belladonna Took's son, as if I was selling buttons at the door!" the elder man spat.

"Beg your pardon?" Bilbo asked.

"You've changed, and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Well you know my name, although you don't remember I belong to it. I'm Gandalf, and Gandalf means...me!" Gandalf said.

They hear the door open and a girl stepping out, saying, "Bilbo, it's time for-"

Violet Greenhill finished cooking up their second breakfast and went out to retrieve Bilbo from outside. Ever since she was twelve years old, Belladonna took her in for Tom because of her trouble fitting in at Bree and at home. Now, they were her new family. But after the past ten years, she lived with only Bilbo. Her curly, dark brown hair was in a bun and her hazel eyes were sparkling very bright. She did not get men and their habits for smoking. Some of the hobbit women did smoke, but only on rare occasions. Especially the time Mrs. Gamgee had a party and she and Violet sat down and talked about her husband and her soon to be born son/daughter.

"Bilbo, it's time for-"she was interrupted when she saw a familiar face. The familiar face was of Gandalf the Grey, who Bilbo was clearly not listening.

Well you know my name, although you don't remember I belong to it. I'm..."

"Gandalf," Violet said aloud.

"Violet? Violet Greenhill?" Gandalf asked.

The hobbit lass nodded.

"By George, it's been so long. You've grown into a beautiful young lady, I see." The wizard chuckled. "And still shy as normal."

"I merely call it I'm nervous to speak for myself," Violet explained more.

"Gandalf? Not Gandalf, the wandering wizard who made such excellent fireworks?" Bilbo realized. "Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's Eve! Well! I had no idea you were still in business."

Gandalf's face turned tostone and Violet thought, Oh dear. He's angered the wizard.

"And where else should I be?" Gandalf asked.

"Well..." Bilbo said and started to chew on his endpiece.

"Well, I'm pleased to find you remember something about me, even if it's only my fireworks," Gandalf said, a little disappointed. "Are you two married then?"

"No!" Bilbo and Violet shouted together.

"Well that's decided. It'll be very good for you, and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others," Gandalf said and turns away.

"Inform the who...? What...?! No! No! No, wait!" Bilbo cried. He grabbed Violet's arm and raced up the stairs with her in tow. "We do not want any adventures here, thank you. Not today, not... I suggest you try over the hill or...across the water. Good morning."

"Simple goodbye would have sufficed and a warning," Violet said.

Sorry Vi, but come on. 'Are we married'? What kind of question is that. We're just-"

"Just friends and nothing more," Violet finished.

"Now, come on, let's eat some breakfast, again," Violet said.

Said hobbit went down the hallway to get the food on the platters. Bilbo was close to following her until he heard a scratch at the door. He looked out the window but was scared by an eye appearing out of nowhere. The hobbit hid behind a pillar in his house and looked back and saw the wizard was moving out. He twitched his nose before going to at breakfast and forget about Gandalf.

Bilbo was, later feeling very paranoid when he and Violet left their home. Violet on the other hand wasn't paranoid, but she was wondering what the wizard's game was and why he asked if they were married. She figured it was because they were living together and it really didn't help they were opposite genders. In the market Bilbo waited for his fish ready. Violet looked at Lobelia who disgusted Vi very well. The reason was that Lobelia hated that Violet was living with Bilbo Baggins, and most people rumored that Bilbo and her were getting married. Lobelia feared that because Violet could produce heirs for Bilbo and then the Sackville-Baggins would not reach what they wanted.

"We're set Violet," Bilbo said. He watched her snare at his cousin in law as they passed by.

"Hello, Mr. Bilbo, Miss Violet," said the farmer, Mr. Worrywort. "Here. Have a feel of me tubers. Nice and firm, they are. Just come in from West Farthing."

"Whoa, they are nice and firm," Violet said as she smiled fixing her coat she was wearing.

"Yes, Very impressive, Mr. Worrywort. Now, I don't suppose you've seen a Wizard lurking around these parts?" Bilbo asked.

"A tall fellow? Long, gray beard? Pointy hat...? Can't say I have." the Farmer said.

Bilbo saw something grey and grabbed Violet's wrist, which they started fleeing to the bridge. Then they turned and Bilbo saw it was baskets and a sack on top while Violet's smile went unnoticed.

* * *

Mr. Baggins and Ms. Greenhill almost ate their food when the sound of the bell. They both looked at each other. When Bilbo opened the door, it was a dwarf with a dark-green hood. He was very bold and had many scars from the battles he won or was in.

"Dwalin," the unexpected dwarf said and bowed, "At your service."

Hm. Uh...Bilbo...Baggins...at yours," Bilbo said awkwardly.

The dwarf looked at the Hobbit skeptically before stepping in side.

"Do we know each other?" Bilbo asked.

Dwalin answered: "No."

He took off his coat.

"Which way, laddie? Is it down here?" Dwalin asked.

"Is...Is what down where?" Bilbo asked.

"Supper," Dwalin answered and gave the cloak at Bilbo. "He said there'd be food, and lots of it."

"He...he said? Who said?"

Bilbo gave Dwalin is supper instead. Violet met him, and he mistook her as Mrs. Baggins and not Miss Greenhill. She didn't even eat when Dwalin started his plate. All she did was have the food in her spoon and didn't take a bite.

"Very good this. Any more?" Dwalin asked.

" What? Uh...oh...uh yes, yes." Bilbo went over to the container of biscuits and helped himself to the jar, put it behind his back. Violet took one herself and Bilbo showed some of it to Dwalin.

"Help yourself." Bilbo offered.

The dwarf scarfed it down probably without chewing it.

"It's just that, um...I wasn't expecting company," Bilbo said. The door bell rung. Dwalin looked at Bilbo with one look.

"That'll be the door," Dwalin said.

Bilbo went to answer it t-o Balin, Dwalin's older brother.

"Balin. At your service." the dwarf said.

"Good evening," Bilbo said.

"Yes. Yes, it is. Although I think it might rain later. Am I late?"

"Late...for what?" Bilbo asked confused

When Balin saw his brother by Bungo and Belladonnas portraits, he started chuckling. Dwalin smiled when he saw his brother.

"Evening, brother!" Balin laughed.

" By my beard! You are shorter and wider than last we met," Dwalin chuckled.

"Wider, not shorter. Sharp enough for both of us," Balin said.

They bashed their heads in with each other.

"Uh...excuse me. Sorry. I hate to interrupt. Uh...but the thing is I'm not entirely sure you're in the right house," Bilbo said. They were ignoring him. "It's not that I don't like visitors. I...I like visitors as much as the next hobbit. But I do like to know them before they come visiting. The thing is, um...The thing is, I don't...I don't know either of you, not in the slightest. I don't mean to be blunt, but I uh...but I had to speak my mind. I'm sorry."

The 'lin brothers looked at the Hobbit, and Balin answered: Apology accepted."

"Oh, no. Fill it up now, brother, don't stint," Balin said.

"You want to get stuck in?

Balin entered the kitchen or the dining table where Violet was. She froze when they came in.

"Well, Gandalf never told us that Master Baggins was Mr. Baggins, Balin laughed as he sat next to her. " Quite a beauty you have their Mr. Baggins .A pleasure to meet you Mrs. Baggins.

"We're not married!" the Hobbits said together.

Violet said, "Mrs. Baggins was my friend's mother.

"Well, my mistake. Well, then what is your name then?"

"No, I'm Violet, Violet Greenhill at your service," Violet said. She reached out a hand and Balin assumed she was just shaking hands with him.

Violet quickly followed Bilbo and appeared at his side. These dwarves were clearly not going to stop. She thought both the young dwarves were a little attractive.

"Fíli," the blonde said.

"And Kíli." the brunette said. Both of them bowed with an "At your service" and looked at the hobbits.

"You must be Mr. Boggins and Miss Greenhill," Kíli said with a smile on his face.

"No! You can't come in, you've come to the wrong house," Bilbo said, close to closing the door until Kíli's foot got in the way and he opened th edoor more.

"What?! Has it been canceled?" Kíli said, disappointed.

"No one told us," Fíli said, also disappointed

"Can..." Bilbo said, confused. "No, nothing's been cancelled."

"That's a relief." Kíli said with happiness in his voice and the both fo them invaded Bilbo's and Violet's home. Fíli, meanwhile was throwing his weapons on Bilbo.

"Careful with these, I just had them sharpened." Fíli told Bilbo.

"It's nice, this place. Did you do it yourself?" Kíli asked, and about to rub the mud off his boots on Belladonna's chest.

"That's my mother's glory box, can you please not do that?!" Bilbo demanded.

Violet gave him a towel.

"Better than using a dusty old chest," Violet explained to him.

"Thank you, Miss Greenhill, " Kíli said and took the mud off of his boots and threw it to the side. Violet sighed and ignored it, going into the kitchen.

"Fíli, Kíli, come on, give us a hand," Dwalin told the youngsters who just came through Bilbo's and Violet's door.

"Mr. Dwalin." Kíli said.

"Let's shove this in the hole, or otherwise we'll never get everyone in," Balin said. Bilbo caught this and Violet stopped her work and looked out.

"Ev...everyone?!" Bilbo stammered. "How many more are there?"

The bell was heard and Bilbo thought this was the final straw.

"Oh, no! No, no. There's nobody home!" Bilbo shouted. "Go away, and bother somebody else! There's far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is."

"Bilbo!" Violet said as she went next to him, "don't you think you should be easy on them."

"No Violet! This is the final straw!" Bilbo shouted. He grasped the door's handle. "If...if this is some blockhead's idea of a joke, I can only say, it is in very poor taste!"

The door opened and dwarves fell onto the mat. Cue the mastermind behind this all (literally when Gandalf popped his head down.

"Gandalf," Bilbo said, finally annoyed.


	2. Chapter 2: Uninvited Dwarves

**Disclaimer: All rights go to JRR Tolkien and Peter Jackson**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Uninvited Dwarves**

Everything was a disaster with the unwanted guests of Bag End. They kept moving around Bilbo's and Violet's chairs into the same room. They began to pillage the pantries and stealing any food in sight. They were stressed out enough with Balin, Dwalin, Fíli and Kíli first barging in the room. It was Dwalin who was stuffing food in his mouth, but at least his brother had been tolerable. Fíli and Kíli were another story. Now the total number was there. It was getting out of hand. It was Bilbo and Violet, but mostly Bilbo lashing out.

"A tad excessive, isn't it? Have you got a cheese knife?" Bilbo asked Bombur.

"Cheese knife?" Bofur asked as if Bilbo said something insane. "He eats it by the block." That's when Bilbo groaned and turned around.

"No no, that's Grandpa Mungo's chair, no…uh, so is that," Bilbo scolded at them. He caught Oin starting to put the chair into Bilbo's and Violet's dining table. "Take it back, please. Take it back, this is antique, not for sitting on. Thank you." He turned and saw one of the dwarves puting his drink on Bilbo's books. "That is a book, not a coaster." Another one was touching one of his mother's maps. "Uh…put that map down."

Violet had not seen dwarves in years, but they were someone she did not know. Bilbo was berating them, to put everything back. She saw his pantry was filled up no more because most people had already were piling up the dining room by the minute.

"Excuse me, Mr. Gandalf," Dori said as he interrupted the wizard helping with dinner. "May I tempt you with a cup of chamomile?

"Ooh, no thank you, Dori. A little red wine, for me I think." Gandalf said as he walked into the other hallway. He counted the dwarves as they went by. "Uh..Fíli, Kíli. Uh…Oin, Gloin. Dwalin, Balin. Bifur, Bofur, Bombur. Dori, Nori."

Bilbo struggled with Ori to get his hands off of Bilbo's bowl of tomatoes.

"No, no. Not my prize winners," Bilbo said.

"Ori!" Gandalf counted the second to last dwarf. Said one llet go of Bilbo's bowls.

Bifur came up to Gandalf and spoke something in his language due to the axe in his head. That axe had made Bifur lose the ability to speak Westron, and only in that language.

"Yes, you are quite right, Bifur," Gandalf said. Then he turned darkly. "We appear to be one dwarf short."

"He is late, is all," Dwalin said holding a cup of ale in his hand and leaning on the wall with the wizard looking down at the dwaawrf five heads shorter than him. "He traveled north to a meeting of our kin, he will come."

Dori came back with a more reasonable beerage for Gandalf.

"Mr. Gandalf?" Dori asked and caught the Wizard's attention. "A little glass of red wine as requested, it's got a fruity bouquet."

Gandalf took what was offered and clinked glasses with Dori before Drinking. To Gandalf, after finishing the red wine, he was disappointed on how small the glass.

"Gandalf, I think this will be more to your liking," Violet said. He looked at the small hobbit who had a tankard.

"Thank you," the wizard said as he touched Violet's shoulder and drank more.

"Who wants an ale?" Fíli said as he climbed on the table. "There you go."

Meanwhile, Bilbo was in his pantries seeing all of it gone. Violet meanwhile was helping make it worse for him but better with the dwarves.

"Let me have another drink." Oin begged.

"Here you go." Dwalin said. He took the ale and dumped down his cousin's horn. Violet had to hold back her laughter when Oin spit out the ale with his horn and everyone started laughing.

"Hey, on the count of three! One! Two! Come!" Bofur shouted and they started having their drinking game.

Each of them were bulky and were making them more so by drinking it. All of them acually horked it down. After that they gae out extremely large bealches, with Ori the loudest. Bilbo huffed in anger.

"Ex…excuse me, that is a doily, not a dish cloth," Bilbo scolded as he snatched the doily from Nori and stopping it from reaching the thief's mouth again.

"But it's full of holes!" Bofur retorted.

"It's supposed to look like that, it's crochet," Bilbo explained.

"Oh, and a wonderful game it is too, if you got the balls for it," said Bofur, playing with words.

"Bebother and confusticate these dwarves!" the poor hobbit grumbled beneath his breath.

Gandalf saw the seed of his lady friend struggling.

"My dear Bilbo, what on earth is the matter?

They stayed well into the evening and started to destruct the ws keeping them in line, or trying to while Violet was just making more food by th eminute.. Tea-time was enough, but dinner! Give me a break.

"What's the matter?" Bilbo said sarcastically. "I am surrounded by dwarves. What they're doing here?"

"Oh, they're quite a merry gathering, once you get used to them.

"I don't want to get used to them!" Bilbo spat. "Look at the state of my kitchen! There's mud trod in the carpet, they…they've pillaged the pantry! I'm not even gonna tell you what they've done in the bathroom, they've all but destroyed the plumbing! I don't understand what they're doing in my house!"

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt. But what should do with my plate?" Ori asked Bilbo.

"Here you go, Ori, give it to me," said Fíli.

He took the dish and threw it passed to Kíli. That time, Bilbo was getting annoyed by this.

"Excuse me! That's my mother's Westfarthing pottery, it's over a hundred years old!" Bilbo cried, who saw the things they were doing.

"And…and, ca…can you not do that, you'll blunt them!" Bilbo begged.

"Ooh, d'you hear that, lads? He says we'll blunt the knives!" Bofur laughed.

Kíli sung:

Blunt the knives, bend the forks.

Fíli sung as he balanced plates on each of his elbows:

" _Smash the bottles and burn the corks._ "

The Dwarves joined into the singing as they worked:

 _Chip the glasses and crack the plates_

 _That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

 _Cut the cloth, tread on the fat_

 _Leave the bones on the bedroom mat_

 _Pour the milk on the pantry floor_

 _Splash the wine on every door!_

 _Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl_

 _Pound them up with a thumping pole_

 _When you're finished if they are whole_

 _Send them down the hall to roll_

Of course none of them did this nasty thing. After they sung their final line, "That's what bilbo Baggins hates", Bilbo ran in and saw that the dishes were alright. The dwarves began laughing and Violet sighed in relief just like Bilbo sighed in relief. They continued laughing, but were interrupted by a loud knock was on the door.

"He's here," Gandalf said.


	3. Chapter 3: Quest of Erebor

**Disclaimer: Don't own the Hobbit or the contents invented by Tolkien and Peter Jackson.**

 **Chapter 3**

 **The Quest of Erebor**

"Gandalf," Thorin said as soon as he stepped in Bag End, took off his cloak and put it to the side. "I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I lost my way, twice. I wouldn't have found it at all, had it not been for that mark on the door."

"Mark? There's no mark on that door, it was painted a week ago!" Bilbo exclaimed.

"There is a mark, I've put it there myself," Gandalf said. "Bilbo Baggins, allow me to introduce the leader of our company, Thorin Oakenshield."

"So, this is the hobbit. Tell me, Mr. Baggins, have you done much fighting?"

"Pardon me?"

"Axe or sword, what's your weapon of choice?"

"Well, I do have some skill at conkers, if you must know. But I fail to see why that's relevant."

"I thought as much. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar."

The other dwarves laugh]

Vi looked at Bilbo when he returned.

"Bilbo, how does it go?" Violet asked.

"Vi, we need to talk," Bilbo said. She looked confused then sat down at the nearest seat. "I'm sorry for brnging you into this mess."

"What mess?" Violet asked.

"There are sixteen of us in this house right now."

"I thought it was twelve dwarves, us and Gandalf. That's fifteen of us."

"Sixteen of us" Bilbo corrected.

"We have another visitor?" Vi said with delight.

"No offense to interrupt your conversing, Master Baggins," Thorin apologized, "do you have any dinner left prepared."

"Will soup do you good, Sir?" Violet said meekly. She went over to the pot.

"I guess that will do," Thorin said. He looked at her skeptically with her back turned and handed it to him. "Thank you, Mrs. Baggins."

"Miss Greenhill," Violet corrected him. "Mrs. Baggins is Bilbo's mother."

Thorin gave a nod to "Miss Greenhill and left the room to the dining table. Instead of relaxing, Vi and Bilbo decided to stand and listen to them.

"What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?" Balin asked.

"Aye, envoys from all seven kingdoms." Thorin nodded with a nod.

"And what did the dwarves of the Iron Hill say? Is Dáin with us?" Dwalin asked.

"They will not come," Thorin answered, with dwarves groaning in disappointment. "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone."

""What news from the meeting in Ered Luin? Did they all come?" Balin asked.

"Aye, envoys from all seven kingdoms." Thorin nodded with a nod.

"And what did the dwarves of the Iron Hill say? Is Dáin with us?" Dwalin asked.

"They will not come," Thorin answered, with dwarves groaning in disappointment. "They say this quest is ours, and ours alone."

"You're doing a quest?" Bilbo asked. They forgot the Hobbits were even there.

"Bilbo, my dear fellow, let us have a little more light," Gandalf requested. Bilbo went to go light a candle with Violet's help. "Far to the East, over ranges and rivers, beyond woodlands and wastelands, lies a single solitary peak."

When they returned, Gandalf already has the map laid out.

"Erebor?" Violet whispered. "As in the Lonely Mountain?"

"How do you know that?" Bofur asked.

She looked at him. "I read it."

"The Lonely Mountain,' Bilbo read from the map. Violet went back to go sit back down.

"Aye, Oin has read the portents, and the portents say: it is time," Gloin said.

Dori groaned silently as he heard this a thousand times. Didn't need to hear it over again.

"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain as it was foretold," Oin said. "When the birds of the old return to Erebor, the reign of the beast will end."

"Sorry, what beast?" Bilbo asked. Violet shot up her head in interest afterwards.

"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the terrible, chiefest and greatest calamity of our age. Airborne fire breather, teeth like razors, claws like meat hooks, extremely fond of precious metals."

"Yes, I know what a dragon is." Bilbo interrupted him.

"I'm not afraid, I'm up for it. I'll give him a taste of the dwarfish iron right up his jacksy!" Ori shouted.

Some of them approved, while Dori pulled Ori back in his seat.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us, but we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best, nor brightest," Balin admitted to Thorin.

"Sit down!" Dori snapped at his brother and pulled him down.

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us, but we number just thirteen, and not thirteen of the best..." Balin said. He said this more to Thorin, "...nor brightest."

"Hey! Who are you calling dim?" Ori demanded.

Everyone starts talking at the same time until Fíli slammed his fist on the table.

"We may be few in number," Fíli overpowered his friends, "but we're fighters, all of us! To the last dwarf!"

"And you forget we have a wizard in our company," Kíli said with a stupid smile on his face. "Gandalf will have killed hundreds of dragons in his time."

"Oh, well. No, uh, I...I wouldn't say..." Gandalf started.

"How many then?" Dori asked him. "Well, how many dragons have you killed? Go on, give us a number!"

Violet put a hand on her forehead. She hated when people fight for no reason. Especially on how many dragons Gandalf killed.

"SILENCE!" Thorin shouted. "If we have read these signs, do you not think others will have read them too? Rumors have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years," Thorin said. "Eyes look East to the mountain, assessing, wondering, weighing the risk. Perhaps the vast wealth of our people now lies unprotected. Do we sit back while others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we seize this chance to take back Erebor?"

The other dwarves cried as Thorin cried, "To arms! To arms!" in another language.

"You forget the front gate is sealed," Balin interrupted the cries. "There is no way into the mountain."

"That, my dear Balin, is not entirely true," Gandalf said. He produced a magical key.

"How came you by this?" Thorin asked awed. He knew what it was.

"It was given to me by your father by Thráin, for safekeeping," Gandalf said. He gave the key to the King in exile. "It is yours now."

Remembering his father, Thorin clutched the key close in his hands and then put it on his chain as a necklace.

"If there is a key, there must be a door!" his nephew declaed.

"These runes speak of a hidden passage to the lower halls," Gandalf declared.

Kíli put an arm around his brother.

"There's another way in," he said with a smirk.

Gandalf nodded his head to the young dwarf. "Well, if we can find it, but dwarf doors are invisible when closed. The answer lies hidden somewhere in this map, and I do not have the skill to find it, but there are others in Middle-Earth who can. The task I have in mind will require a great deal of stealth, and no small amount of courage. But if we're careful and clever, I believe that it can be done."

"That's why we need a burglar," Ori pointed to Bilbo.

"A good one too. An expert, I'd imagine," Bilbo admitted.

"And are you?" Glóin asked. Everyone looked at Bilbo, except his friend Violet.

"Am I what?" Bilbo asked.

"e said he's an expert!" Óin laughed.

"Me? No! No, No, No! I...I'm not a burglar," Bilbo snapped. "I've never stolen a thing in my life."

"And I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Baggins," Balin agreed. "He's hardly burglar material."

"Aye, the wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves," Dwalin said.

They started fighting until the room grew darker.

"Enough! If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar, then a burglar he is!" Gandalf snapped. The dwarves silenced themselves. "Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. In fact, they can pass unseen by most if they choose, and while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of a dwarf, the scent of a hobbit is all but unknown to him, which gives us a distinct advantage.

"You asked me to find the fourteenth member of this company, and I have chosen Mr. Baggins. There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest. And he's got a great deal more to offer than any of you know, including himself." He looked to Bilbo, and then to Thorin again. "You must trust me on this."

Thorin pondered for a while before answering with, "Very well. We'll do it your way. Give him the contract."

"We're off!" Glóin called.

"Please," Bilbo begged.

"It's just the usual summary about the pocket expenses, time required, remuneration,

funeral arrangements, so forth.

Bilbo just huffed and looked at the contaract which fell to the floor.

"Good luck with that, Bilbo," Violet laughed.

"Gee, thanks Violet," Bilbo snapped at his friend and continued to read.

"I cannot guarantee his safety," Thorin whispered in Gandalf's ear.

"Understood."

"Nor will I be responsible for his fate.

"Agreed."

"'Total's cash on delivery, up to but not exceeding, one fourteenth of total profit if any.," Bilbo read. "Seems fair. 'The present company shall not be liable for injuries inflicted by or sustained as an on sequence thereof, including, but not limited to...lacerations. Evisceration." He turned the paper over and violet loked at the word he was saying in his head.

"Incineration?" Violet questioned the dwarves.

"Oh, aye, he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye," Bofur said.

"You alright, laddie?" Balin asked Bilbo, clearly the only on e, besides Violet and Gandalf, who saw his distress.

"Huh? Yeah, I fe..." Bilbo took a deep breath. "I feel a bit faint."

"Think furnace, with wings." Bofur said, ignoring Bilbo's pleas for A Breath of fresh air. "Flash of light, searing pain, then poof! You're nothing more than a pile of ash!"

"Nope," Bilbo said and collapsed on the ground in a faint.

"Oh, very helpful," Violet said sarcastically and went down to her friend.


	4. Chapter 4: Moral Reasons

**Chapter 4**

 **Moral Reasons**

"Well, will he be alright?" Balin asked

"Yes, no thanks to you thirteen!" Violet snapped, sneering at Bofur. "Trying to give him a heart attack?"

Violet struggled to get Bilbo over her shoulder but for some reason, he was really heavy today.

"A little help over here?" Violet asked shyly.

"Since it is my fault he fainted, I'll help," Bofur said and swung bilbo's arm over hs shoulder. "Where should I put him?"

"On the armchair," Violet answered as she took the cloth and dipped it in water and on Bilbo's face.

I'll be alright. Just let me sit quietly for a moment," Bilbo said nervously, who was sitting in his mother's chair, holding a cuppa of tea. Violet was in the room with her arms crossed and sitting in the opposite chair. Gandalf was smoking, moving around and getting furious.

"You've been sitting quietly for far too long," Gandalf snapped. "Tell me, when did doilies and your mother's dishes become so important to you? I remember a young hobbit who was always running off in search of Elves, in the woods. He'd stay out late, come home, after dark, trailing mud and twigs and fireflies. A young hobbit who would've liked nothing better than to find out what was beyond the borders of the Shire. The world is not in your books and maps. It's out there."

"I can't just go running off into the blue! I am a Baggins, of Bag End!" Bilbo exclaimed.

" You are also a Took, and the Tooks have travelled with Cauliflowers before," Gandalf said, and also gesturing to Violet, who recognised it as her mother's maiden name. "Did you know that your great, great, great, great uncle Bullroarer Took, was so large he could ride a real horse? Yes, well he could! There, he and Violet's great-great-great-great great-grandfather Cyricus Cauliflower rode out together. They charged the goblin ranks they swung Bullroarer's club so hard, it knocked the goblin king's head clean off, and it sailed a hundred yards through the air, and went down a rabbit hole. And thus the battle as won, and the game of golf invented at the same time."

"Yes Mom and Belladonna told me that story many times," Violet said.

"I do believe you and Mother and Mrs. Greenhill made that up." Bilbo said.

"Well, all good stories deserve embellishment," Gandalf said. "You'll have a tale or two to tell of your own when you come back."

"Can you promise that I will come back?" bilbo asked.

"No. And if you do, you'll not be the same." Gandalf said.

"That's what I thought." Bilbo said, got up and Violet took his cup. "Sorry, Gandalf, I can't sign this. You've got the wrong hobbit."

Violet sighed, put down the cup and followed Bilbo, he stopped and lookeda t her.

"Why don't you go on the adventure?" Violet asked.

"Moral reasons, Vi. That's it." He left but Violet grabbed his arms.

"Why are you leaving? Just tell me why your not le—"

"I am not leaving because of you," Bilbo said as he turned back to her gaze. "I'm not leaving for you."

"You treat me like I'm a little girl," Violet said.

"No, like a little sister," Bilbo corrected her. Violet sighed.

"You're not leaving because of me?"

"Right. I can't leave you, Vi. You are one of my best friends, well in fact my only best friend. Besides if I went and you'd go with me. And if you'd went with me, then you would miss home. ANd I can't do that to you."

Violet had tears started coming down her face.

Then it is your choice, Bilbo," Violet said. "I am not the boss of you, so I do not have to force you to do so. It would be morally wrong for me to discourage a friend, which I will not discourage you for going on the adventure. It's your choice."

Bilbo and Violet hugged for a while. Both were unaware Balin and Thorin were watching them. Thorin, Balin and Violet watched Bilbo disappear into his room before turning away. She walked into the other hallway which the dwarves were watching her, but Violet snuck passed Thorin and Balin who watched her leave into the living room. Violet sat back into Mrs. Baggins' chair.

It appears we have lost our burglar," Balin said. "Probably for the best." Thorin looked at Balin after watching Violet and Bilbo's disgussion. "The odds were always against us. After all, what are we? Merchants, miners, tinkers, toy makers. Hardly the stuff of legend."

"There are a few warriors amongst us." Thorin said with a smirk.

"Old warriors." Balin added.

"I would take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the Iron Hills, for when I called upon them, they answered. Loyalty, honor, a willing heart. I can ask no more than that."

"You don't have to do this. You have a choice. You've done honorably by our people. You have built a new life for us in the Blue Mountains. A life of peace and plenty. A life that is worth more than all the gold in Erebor."

"From my grandfather to my father, this has come to me. They dreamt of the day when the dwarves of Erebor would reclaim their homeland. There is no choice, Balin. Not for me."

"Then we are with you, laddie. We will see it done."

In the bedroom, Bilbo lays down on his bed as he heard the dwarves sing. Violet continued smoking as the Dwarves continued their lovely voices. As teh dwarves sung in his living room, Bilbo began to drift off asleep, dreaming of nothing but mountains and overhills.

Bilbo woke up sometime at 11 A.M. in the morning. He'd thought it had been all a dream, but it was not. As he walked out of the bedroom, Violet was smoking.

"Where did they go?" Bilbo asked.

"Dunno. They were gone when I woke up," Violet answered.

He left the Bag End parlor and on the table, Bilbo saw the contract was left. He looked back at Violet who was coming closer.

"So, what do you want for elevensies?" Violet, who purposely left the contract on the table, asked.

Then Bilbo thought of something else. He turned back to her.

"How would you feel on taking a road trip to a mountain instead?" Bilbo asked and turned to his best friend who was smiling at Bilbo's choice to go after all.

The hobbits literally dressed faster than lightning and packed had bags for the road.. It turned out that Violet had cut her purple dress into a tunic, white shirt, grey cut to the knee pants and also a grey jacket. Bilbo found a red coat. His vest was an olive green with buttons engraved with acorns. Both of them were fleeing.

"Here, Mr. Bilbo! Miss Violet! Where are you off too?" Mr. Worrywort asked the running hobbits.

"I can't stop, we're already late!" Bilbo shouted.

"Late for what?"

Violet turned behind her and answered, "Going on an adventure!"

She turned around and started chasing after Bilbo.


	5. Chapter 5: Members Number 14 and 15

**Chapter 5**

 **Members Number 14 and 15**

"Wait! Wait!" Bilbo shouted as the dwarves were ahead. All of them stopped at Bilbo's cries and looked at the hobbits. The contract flew in the wind. "I signed it."

Balin gave Bilbo a suspicious look before taking his eye glass and used it to identify Bilbo's marks. "Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."

"In response, almost all of the entire dwarves cheered.

Thorin looked back and saw that not only Bilbo was there but his lady friend, Violet Greenhill.

"What are you doing here, Miss Violet?" Thorin asked her while Bilbo put a hand on Violet's shoulder.

"I came to come with Bilbo on this one, Master Oakenshield," Violet answered.

"No offense, Miss Greenhill but this quest is no place for women," Thorin said. " It will be too dangerous for a young woman like you."

"No really, I can help Your Majesty, and Bilbo won't leave without me. I can cook, and also, I can help with wounds. My grandfather was a physician before he was married into a rich family. He taught my mother and then he taught me.

"She's desperate, Thorin," Balin said and chuckled.

"No," Thorin said sternly. Then he saw the discomfort in her face, and called for Gandalf. "GANDALF! I never knew that Miss Greenhill would be persistant. Did you? Yes, she wants to join our company."

"Because wehrever I go, Bilbo follows," Violet said, crossing her amrs over her chest.

Gandalf agreed. "It's true. Bilbo does go wherever Violet goes. And eprsonally, Miss Greenhill will be my personal guest on this venture."

"Fine," Thorin said, surrendoring

"Well then," the older dwarf said and pet Violet on the shoulder, "welcome to the company of Thorin Oakenshield, Miss Greenhill."

Everyone else was happy and suprirsed they had a fifteenth member of the company over a number of fourteen. They were two more extra hobbits, but Violet was Gandalf's guest in this.

"Give them a pony," Thorin snapped before having his horse walk.

"No, no, no, no. That...that won't be necessary," Bilbo started to babble on about. "Thank you. I'm sure I can keep up on foot. Yeah, I...I've done my fair share of walking holidays, you know? Even got as far as Frog Morton once."

He screamed when Fíli and Kili snuck up behind Bilbo and lifted him off the ground and on a sweet pony named Myrtle. Bilbo's hand offered down to Violet as she climbed on behind him and put her arms around Bilbo's waist with their packs tied down to Myrtle's back. Then the two of them noticed most of the dwarves threw sacks of gold around.

"Come on, Nori! Pay up!" Óin called to Nori, who threw the money to his dwarf opponent.

"What's that about?" Bilbo asked.

"Oh, they took wagers on whether or not you'd turn up. Most of them bet that you wouldn't," Gandalf explained. And those who did bet that Violet would come with him. So, two bets were made."

"Gambling," Violet muttered. "And what did you think?"

"Well..." Gandalfsaid. He caught a bag of money, proving the answer to Violet's question. He chuckled, "My dear girl, I never doubted you two for a second."

Then Bilbo suddenly sneezed. Violet forgot that he was allergic to horses.

"Oh, it's horse hair. Having a reaction," Bilbo said as he searched for his handkerchief. "Uh...wait, wait. Stop! Stop! We have to turn around."

"Bilbo what on earth is the matter?" Violet asked him.

"I forgot my handkerchief." Bilbo answered. Violet smacked her own face.

"Here! Use this." Bofur said throwing a piece of cloth from his tunic. Bilbo looked at it in disgust. Violet's face crunched up a bit at the smell of it .

"Move on!" Thorin called and the journey continued.

"You'll have to manage without pocket handkerchiefs, and a good many other things, Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey's end," Gandalf told Bilbo later on while Violet had fallen asleep and Bilbo switched places with her, holding his lady friend with in his arms and her sleeping on his left shoulder. "You and Violet Greenhill were born to the rolling hills and little rivers of the Shire. Home is now behind you, the world is ahead.

Early evening, Violet was carrying firewood back from the woods. When nightfall came and everyone was fed, Violet stood as she leaned against the wall.

"I didn't realize how small you were, Miss Greenhill," KÍLI commented. She turned to him.

"I will have you know that I am approxeementally 4'3 feet tall," she snapped.

"Still small in the eyes of men," Fíli chuckled.

"Quite tall for a hobbit, thank you Master Fíli," Violet snapped in a whisper, trying not to wake up the entire company.

Bilbo could not sleep after hearing Bombur's snores. Instead he stretched and went to the pony he and Violet shared.

"Hello, girl. Good girl! Here's a good girl," Bilbo cooed Myrtle and pet her snout as he snuck her an apple after making sure no one was looking. She ate it as Bilbo continued to pet her."It's our little secret, Myrtle. Just tell no one. Shh-shh..."

Bilbo smiled at her until he heard a sream out in the night.

"What was that?" Bilbo asked worriedly.

"Orcs," Kili answered in a scary voice.

"Orcs?" Bilbo said as he raced to Violet. Thorin dozed off for a while before hearing Bilbo cry the three lettered word and jerked up awake.

"Throat cutters." Fíli explained. "There'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them."

"They strike in the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep. Quick and quiet; no screams, just lots of blood," Kili added. Violet clenched onto Bilbo's hand when she heard that, and then the Hobbits heard the dwarf brothers laughing.

"I didn't think that was funny," Violet whispered to her friend.

"You think that's funny?"Thorin snapped at his nephews. "You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?"

"We didn't mean anything by it," Kili said, feeling ashamed

"No, you didn't. You know nothing of the world." Thorin snapped as he walked to the edge.

Balin was also awake and went foreward to Violet, Bilbo, Fíli and Kii.

"Don't mind him, laddie," Balin said to Kili. "Thorin has more cause than most to hate orcs. After the dragon took

the Lonely Mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. but our enemy

had got there first."

"Moria had been taken by legions of Orcs lead by the most vile of all their race: Azog, the Defiler. The giant Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began by beheading the King. Thráin, Thorin's father, was driven mad by grief. He went missing, taken prisoner or killed, we did not know. We were leaderless. Defeat and death were upon us. That is when I saw him: a young dwarf prince facing down the Pale Orc." He stood alone against this terrible foe, his armor rent…wielding nothing but an oaken branch as a shield. Azog the Defiler learned that day that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated. But there was no

feast, no song, that night, for our dead were beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then, there is one who I could follow. There is one I could call King."

Bilbo, Violet and others looked at Thorin in awe as he turned to his company.

"And the pale orc?" Bilbo asked Balin, whose eyes grew wide.

"Yeah, what happened to him?" Violet added in a question

"He slunk back into the hole whence he came," Thorin answered gruffly. "That filth died of his wounds long ago."

Violet caught Balin ad Gandalf sharing glances. They were knowingly glances. It was one thing Violet knew: Azog was still alive in their minds and in reality. He was somewhere out there still.

"Bilbo, are you honestly going to listen to those knuckleheads in the future?" Violet asked.

"I hope I'll have a wiser head on my shoulder as this journey continues, Vi."

"Well, you'll always be the same to me. Good night Bilbo," Violet said.

"Goodnight, Bilbo answered. He watched her get up and fall right asleep in the spot where her pack was located at and laid down on it. Violet was right. Azog was still out there and had sent Wargs and Orcs to hunt down Thorin and his company.

" **Send word to the master** ," the leader of the orcs said, speaking in their language. " **We found the dwarf-scum.** "


	6. Chapter 6: Roast Mutton

_**Chapter 6**_

 **Roast Mutton**

In the middle of the day, it started raining like cats and dogs. Violet was given a purple cloak earlier from Ori after he intended to give it to his mother, but instead was made Violet's size. She kept the hood over her head while sitting behind Bilbo, who was wearing Dwalin's extra cloak and hood. What a funny sight was Bofur trying to light his pipe, but it refused to light.

"Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori asked the wizard who was ahead.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard."

Dori silently groaned and was disappointed by Gandalf not having that ability.

Bilbo was curious by the sound of that.

"Are there any?" Bilbo asked.

"What?" Gandalf asked again.

"Other wizards?" Violet answered.

"There are five of us. The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards; you know, I've quite forgotten their names." Gandalf said.

"And who is the fifth?" Bilbo inquired.

"Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown." Gandalf answered.

"Is he a great Wizard or is he...more like you?" Violet asked, causing some of the dwarves to snicker underneath their breaths. Gandalf was very offended by Violet's question.

"I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing too, for always Evil will look to find a foothold in this world."

They stopped for the night. Gandalf was inspecting a farmer's former home. Thorin continued barking orderes out to the other dwarves.

"A farmer and his family used to live here," Gandalf muttered. Thorincame to where Gandalf was at. THe wizard turned to the dwarf. "I think it would be wiser to move on. We could make for the hidden valley."

"I've told you already. I will not go near that place," Thorin snapped.

"Why not? The Elves could help us, we could get food, rest, advice."

"I do not need their advice."

"We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us."

Thorin turned to face Gandalf and mocked, "Help? A dragon attacks Erebor. What help came from the Elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls, the Elves looked on and did nothing! You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather, who betrayed my father."

"You are neither of them," Gandalf said. "I did not give you that map and key for you to hold on to the past."

"I did not know they were yours to keep," Thorin hissed.

That was it! Gandalf was out of here. He could not take it any more. Dwarves, Thorin's stubbornness, and their rude manners. He stormed off, causing Bilbo look at him while he was absentmindedly petting the white pony Balin rode.

"Everything alright? Gandalf, where are you going?" Bilbo shouted.

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense," Gandalf answered.

"And who's that?" Violet asked confused.

"Myself, Miss Greenhill!" Gandalf growled. "I've had enough of dwarves for one day."

Violet kept hold of her reins and went to Balin.

"Is he coming back?" Bilbo and Violet asked the dwarf. He just shrugged, not sure if Gandalf would return or not.

 _ **VIOLET~**_

"He's been a long time," Bilbo said looking troubled out in the night sky. Violet nodded in understandment.

"Who?" Bofur asked as he put stew in two bowls.

"Gandalf," Bilbo answered.

"He's a wizard! He does as he chooses," Bofur said. He handed Bilbo and Violet two bowls of stew. "Here. Do us a favor, take this to the lads."

Bofur caught Bombur stealing food from the pot.

"Stop it, you've had plenty," Bofur scolds him.

When the hobbits reached Fíli and Kíli, the boys did nothing but stare at the ponies. They did not take the bowls from Bilbo, neither did they even bother to look at him nor Violet when she stood by Fíli. They were just staring. THen Violet decided to say something at last.

"What's the matter?" Violet asked.

"We're supposed to be looking after the ponies," Kíli answered.

"Only we've encountered a slight problem." Fíli said.

"We had sixteen," Kíli said.

"Now there's fourteen," Fíli said.

"Daisy and Bungo are missing," Kíli said after they counted them all.

"What? Well, that's not good," Bilbo said. "And that is not good at all. Shouldn't we tell Thorin?"

"I think we should," Violet agreed.

"Uh...no. Let's not worry him," Fíli said nonchalantly.

"As our official burglars, we thought you might like to look into it."

 _Oh no,_ Violet thought.

Bilbo looked at the uprooted trees.

"Well, uh...it looks as if something big uprooted these trees," Bilbo said.

"That was our thinking," Kíli said sarcastically.

"It's something very big, and possibly quite dangerous," Bilbo added.

"Really, Bilbo, I had no idea," Violet said sarcastically.

"Hey! There's a light," Fíli said. "Over here! Stay down."

The four of them, both the dwarves and the two hobbits, crouched down near the log, watching the fire nearby and laughs broke out.

What is it?" Bilbo asked, looking at Fíli.

"Trolls," Kíli answered.

"What is it?" Bilbo asked, looking at Fíli.

"Trolls," Kíli answered.

Kíli and Fíli make a run for it closer to the trolls' campfire. Bilbo puts down the bowls of stew he was carrying and starts to follow them, then he stops, turns around and picks up the bowls of stew again, and runs after Kíli and Fíli.

As the three boys towards the troll camp, they see a huge troll walk by, carrying two of the ponies.

"He's got Myrtle and Minty!" Bilbo said. "I think they're gonna eat them, we have to do something."

Kíli and Fíli looked at him.

"Yes, you should," Kíli said. "Mountain trolls are slow and stupid, and you're so small. They'll never see you."

"Me? Me? No. No. No," Bilbo protested.

"It's perfectly safe!" Kíli said ignoring Bilbo's protest. They took the bowls from Bilbo.

"We'll be right behind you," Fíli lied. "If you run into trouble hoot twice like a barn owl, once like a brown owl."

The Crowned prince pushed Bilbo foreword and they ran before Bilbo noticed them gone. Bilbo turned around and saw that they left, leaving him with the trolls alone.

"Mutton yesterday, mutton today," William Troll complained. "And blimey, if it don't look like mutton again tomorrow."

Bilbo went over to the ponies' cages. He tried untying the hard rope until he saw a weapon tied to Tom's waist. Bilbo saw it. He snuck to get it from the Troll, and then he felt himself lifted off the ground and a Troll sneezing into the poor little hobbit.

"Aah! Blimey! Bert! Bert, look what's come out of me hooter!" Tom said. "It's got arms and legs and everything!"

"What is it?" Bert asked.

"I don't know, but I don't like the way it wriggles around!" Tom said frightened and threw poor Bilbo on the ground.

William pulls out his knife, threatening Bilbo by putting his knife at the Hobbit's stomach.

"What are you then? An oversized squirrel?" Bert asked.

"I'm a burglar...uh, hobbit!" Bilbo quickly corrected himself.

"A 'burglar-hobbit'?" Tom questioned.

"Can we cook him?" WIlliam asked.

"We can try!" Tom said, but as soon as he tried to grab Bilbo, the Hobbit ducked and fled before being caught by his legs and held poor shivering, cold Bilbo upside down.

"Are there any more of you little fellas hiding where you shouldn't?" Tom asked Bilbo, suspiciously.

"No," Bilbo lied, not wanting to give up the Dwarves now.

"He's lying!" Tom the Troll said.

"No I'm not!" Bilbo lied again.

"Hold his toes over the fire. Make him squeal!"

 _ **A few minutes ago...**_

 _Trolls, great_ , Violet thought. She, meanwhile ran back into the camp

Violet ran fast back to the camp. When she returned, the clostest dwarf she got to was Thorin Oakenshield.

"Hey, wake up!" she shook Thorin, who had fallen asleep. The dwarf'seyes fluttered open and straight went to his sword."

"Thorin, it's me, Violet," she said.

Thorin relaxed. "A little piece of advice, Miss Violet: Never sneak up on a dwarf who is half asleep."

"Yeah, again sorry about that, but there's something you must know."

"Trolls," Fíli, Kíli and Violet said simultaneously.

Thorin finally grew full awake.

"And where is Master Baggins." Violet asked.

"Uh, we sent him in," Kíli answered. "To get the ponies out."

Her eyes grew wide. Thorin rolled his eyes. "Alright, lads, we've got a hobbit and four ponies to save.

He took his sword.

"For you, Miss Greenhill," Fíli said, holding out a dagger.

Violet slowly took it as Fíli, Kíli, and her led the company to the troll camp.

"This is a man's job to protect his lady," Kíli said as he pushed her behind him. "And save her best friend."

Boys, Violet said mentally as she rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, whatever," Violet told Kíli as she went in and slashed the Troll holding Bilbo. Kíli came behind her with a daring smile.

"Drop him!" Kíli shouted, with a daring smile.

"You wha'!" the troll said.

"I said, drop him!" Kili cried again with clenched teeth. The troll threw Bilbo out into the air and Kíli and Violet caught him, also falling down in the process. Then, on cue Thorin and Company with their weapons. Each and everyone of them were fighting, well, save for Bilbo and Violet.

"Stay down and don't leave this spot," Kíli told the hobbits before running out to join the fight.

Bilbo snuck around without Violet looking and grabbed a (literally big for even a human) dagger and cut the ponies lose. Trolls did not losing their supper, especially Bilbo who set them free. They used Bilbo as an advantage.

 _Holy..._ Violet thought when she saw him caught.

Thorin, surprisingly stopped the fight.

"Oh no," Violet whispered, seeing Bilbo like this.

"BILBO!" Kíli cried worriedly, but Thorin pulled him back.

Violet thought Thorin wasnt going to give in, and let her friend die. All their leader did was glower at Bilbo before he lowered his weapon. Most of them did it rather reluctantly.


	7. Chapter 7: A Sticky Situation

**Chapter 7**

 _ **A Sticky Situation**_

Soon, all of them, besides Violet who was still hiding in the spot Kíli told her to stay in, were put in sacks.

"Don't bother cooking 'em! Let's just sit on 'em and squash 'em into jelly!" William said. They had half of the dwarves on the spit, with the other half (and Bilbo) on the side, planning on eating them later.

"They should be sautéed and grilled with a sprinkle of sage." Bert suggested.

"Oh, that does sound quite nice." Tom saikd, with his mouth watering.

" Never mind the seasoning," William cried. "We ain't got all night! Dawn ain't far away, let's get a move on! I don't fancy been turned to stone."

Violet's eyes widen, and ran to the cliff. She planned to block the sun at first and then move out of the way so they'd turn to stone, back to the original rock where they were formed.

"Wait! You are making a terrible mistake." Bilbo cried.

"You can't reason with them, they're half-wits!" Dori told Bilbo.

"Half-wits? What does that make us? Bofur asked.

"Quarter wits?" Violet whispered as she went up to the cliff.

"I meant with the...uh, with the...with the seasoning." Bilbo said. He hopped up to stand up.

"What about the seasoning?" the troll asked.

"Well, have you smelt them?" Bilbo asked sarcastically. "You're gonna need something stronger than sage before you plate this lot up!"

"What do you know about cooking dwarf?" William asked.

" Shut up, and let the...uh, flurgerburbur-hobbit talk." Bert said.

"Uh...the-the secret to cooking dwarf, is um..." Bilbo stammered.

"Yes? Come on." Bert said.

"I'm telling you. The secret is...to...skin them first!" Bilbo said, with all the dwarves shouting at him.

"If I get you, you little-" Gloin said, but he was interrupted by being turned.

"I won't forget that!" Dwalin shouted to Bilbo when he had his chance.

"What a load of rubbish!" William retorted. "I've eaten plenty with their skins on. Scuff them, I say, boots and all."

"He's right! Nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf! Nice and crunchy."

Tom grabs Bombur, who is in a sack, and dangles him upside down over his mouth, about to eat him.

"Not-not that one, he-he's infected!" Bilbo cried. "Yeah, He's got worms in his … tubes."

Tom dropped Bombur back to the dwarves in disgust.

"In-in fact they all have, they're in-infested with parasites. It's a terrible business; I wouldn't risk it, I really wouldn't," Bilbo said.

"Parasites, did he say parasites?" Oin asked.

"We don't have parasites! You have parasites!" Kíli cried.

"What are you talking about, laddie?" Gloin shouted.

Most of them were shouting at Bilbo. The poor hobbit was trying to stall them, so he rolled his eyes. THey were messing his plan. Thorin saw Bilbo was trying to get them out of it, so he kicked the nearest Dwarf and they started changing their claims.

"I've got parasites as big as my arm," Oin said.

Kíli said, "Mine are the biggest parasites, I've got huge parasites!"

"We're riddled." Nori agreed.

Ori claimed, "Yes, I'm riddled."

Dori agreed, "Yes we are. Badly!"

"What would you have us do, then, let 'em all go?" Tom asked.

Well," Bilbo said.

Tomn poked him in the stomach.

"You think I don't know what you're up to? This little ferret is taking us for fools!"

"Ferret?" Bilbo said offended.

"Fools?" Bert asked.

"HEY!" Violet shouted. The trolls looked at the Hobbit girtl who appeared on the cliff. "Release them! Or meet you're end."

The trolls laughed at her.

"You, whats a little girl going to do to stop us?" Tom asked.

"Oh, I'm not going to do anything," Violet said mischeviously.

"Dawn will take you all!" Gandalf shouted as he appeared behind her.

"Who's that?" one troll asked.

No idea, the second one said.

"Can we eat him to?" the last one said.

"Vi, to the right," Gandalf said.

She stepped behind him as they went ot the right. He took his staff and slammed it on the rock. The trolls turned to stone as the sun hit their skin, turning back into the stone back from the mountains they once came.

* * *

After those twist of events, Violet and Gandalf freed teh dwarves one by one. The ones previously on the spit got on their tunics, coats and furs back on. They were no longer in their skivvies.

"Where did you go to, if I may ask?" Thorin asked.

"To look ahead," Gandalf answered.

"What brought you back?"

"Looking behind. Nasty business. Still they all are in one piece."

"No thanks to your burglar."

"He had the nous to play for time. None of the rest of you thought of that."

"They must have come down from the Ettenmoors."

"Since when the mountain trolls venture this far south?"

"Oh, not for an age. Not since a darker power ruled these lands," Gandalf said. Something struck the wizard's head. "They could not have moved in daylight."

"So, if they can't move out during the day, then where would they go, Master Gandalf?" Violet asked curiously.

"There must be a cave nearby," Thorin said.

"Funny you mentioned 'cave', Your Highness," Violet said formally and laughed nervously. She led Gandalf and Thorin to the cave.

"Well, very helpful, Violet," Gandalf said as he entered the cave.

Thorin, followed by Glóin, Nori, Bofur, Dwalin and violet entered the cave.

"Oh," Violet said as she pinched her nose. Nori did the same.

Oh, what's that stench?!" Nori exclaimed.

"It's a troll hoard. Be careful what you touch," Gandalf warned them. Violet approached one sword that looked like her size.

Thorin also claimed a sword that was near the dagger Violet found.

"Cool," Violet gasped.

"These swords were not made by any troll," Thorin said as he looked at the sword, still encased in its case.

Nor were they made by any smith among men," Gandalf said. Then he read the runes (sort of) and looked at it over and over again.

" These were forged in Gondolin, by the High Elves, of the First Age." Gandalf said. He saw Thorin putting it backin disgust after learning it was an Elven blade. "You could not wish for a finer blade."

"Elven blades, which glow blue when Orcs or Goblins are nearby," Violet summarized. Gandalf smiled at her. She answered, "Learned it from Bilbo's mother's books"

She looked at the dwarves (Glóin, Nori and Bofur) putting away gold in a chest. Thorin was checking the runes with the torch.

"We're making a long-term deposit," Gloin answered Dwalin, who just rolled his eyes and Violet shook her head disapprovingly.

"Let's get out of this foul place," Thorin ordered.

"This place is really starting to scare me," Violet agreed as she quickly ran out the cave.

Gandalf, meanwhile looked at the floor. He looked at a sword perfect for the size of Bilbo, remembering that Violet found one herself.

"Bilbo," Gandalf said as he held a sword for Bilbo. The hobbit looked at him skeptically for a second before grabbing the sword. "Here. This is about your size.

"I can't take this," Bilbo tried telling Gandalf.

"The blade is of Elvish make, which means it will glow blue when orcs or goblins are nearby," Gandalf said. "Vi has already taken one."

Bilbo said it so quietly so that the others couldn't hear him anymore: "I have...I have never used a sword in my life. Neither has Violet.

"And I hope you never have to," Gandalf said. Violet appeared next to Bilbo with the sword in a belt Kíli aprovided for her. "And you listen to this, Miss Violet. If you do use your sword, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one."

"Something's coming!" Thorin shouted.

"Stay together! Hurry, now! Arm yourselves!" Gandalf cried at them.

Violet and Bilbo looked at each othe ras Bilbo took out his sword and looked at it. The sword looked like Bilbo's play sword that Violet remembered seeing in his chest at home. They ran to join the others. Vi took out her sword rather reluctantly, and Bilbo readied to get out his sword as well.

"THIEVES! FIRE MURDER!" the brown wizard cried.

 _Brown wizard! Gasp, that's Radagast the Brown_ , Violet thought.

She put away her sword.

"Radagast. It's Radagast the Brown!" Gandalf said. He went to Radagast, and asked, "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you, Gandalf," Radagast said. "Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."

"Yes?"

"Just give me a minute. Um...Oh! I had a thought and now I've lost it. It was...it was was right there, on the tip of my tongue! Oh! It's not a thought at all! It's a silly old... stick insect."

Gandalf removed the stick insect from Radagast, earning a couple grimaces from Bilbo, Fíli and Violet.


	8. Chapter 8: Rivendell

**Chapter 8**

 _ **Rivendell**_

The two wizards talked. Gandalf and Radagst were now alone, far away from the Company.

"The Greenwood is sick, Gandalf," Radagast said. "A darkness has fallen over it, nothing grows anymore. At least nothing good. The air is foul decay, but worse are the webs."

"Webs? What do you mean?" Gandalf asked.

"Spiders, Gandalf. Giant ones," Radagast explained. "Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I'm not a wizard. I followed their trail. They came from Dol Guldur."

"Dol Guldur?" Gandalf looked to Radagast this time. "But the old fortress is abandoned."

"No, Gandalf. It is not," Radagast said.

 _A dark power dwells in there, such as I have never felt before. It is the shadow of an ancient horror..._

Radagast goes through Dol Guldur, with his staff in hand. Unaware, a ghost with a sword in hand is readying to attack the wizard himself.

 _One that can summon the spirits of the dead..._

The ghost starts to use its sword against the poor, frightened Radagast. He takes his staff to stop it from killing him. They fight for sometime until Radagast defeated the ghost by throwing its sword onto the ground and the ghost disappears.

 _I saw him, Gandalf. From out of the darkness, the Necromancer has come!_

Then, Radagast rushed to his carriage of bunnies and the cart takes off and the bats fallow him.

"Sorry," Radagast apologizes as he was shaking.

"Try a little old Toby. It'll help setting your nerves." Gandalf said. He whiped his pipe and Radagast inhaled, then ex-haled. "Now, the Necromancer. Are you sure?"

Radagast took the sword and gave it to Gandalf, showing it to him. "That is not from the world of the living."

Then, there was a howling sound.

Was that a wolf?" Bilbo said terrified. He remembered his maternal cousin had joked about him of the adventures he took and hearing wolves. "Are there...are there wolves out there?"

"Wolves? No, that is not a wolf," Bofur assured the hobbit.

A gigantic Warg showed up and attacked from behind the company. Bilbo, Bofur and Violet looked behind themselves as everyeone gasped. As it lept down onto their level, Dwalin killed it with his two axes. And Thorin sleighed it after Dwalin did. t. Another one came to lunge at Thorin.

"Thorin look out!" Violet shouted as she took a bow and arrow and hit the Warg. It was later sleign by Thorin. He pulled the curved blade out of the Warg's corpse.

"Warg scouts! Which means an orc pack is not far behind!" Thorin shouted.

Bilbo and Violet asked terrified, "Orc pack?"

"Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?" Gandalf asked Thorin.

"No one, I swear!" Thorin shouted, after Gandalf asked a second time. "What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted," Gandalf answered.

"We have to get out of here," Dwalin said.

Ori an dhis brothe returned. "We can't! We have no ponies. They bolted."

 _Great,_ Violet thought.

"I'll draw them off," Radagast said.

"These are Gundabad wargs. They will outrun you!" Gandal f reminded him.

"These are Rhosgobel rabbits. I'd like to see them try." Radagastsaid that with a sly smile.

Everyone did not want to be chased by bloodthirsty Wargs. That was why the brown wizard was distracting them as Violet, Bilbo and the dwarves made their escape across the plain.

Come on!" Gandalf said. "Stay together."

None of them wanted to lose one another. Violet was already panting like a dog by the time they got to the next set of stones.

"No, no!" Violet said.

She said this as she pulled Ori next to her and they waited for Radagast to pass them as well as the Wargs.

"All of you, come on, come on! Quick!" Gandalf said as he waved his hand, cuing everyone to run.

Thorin glared at him, asking, "Where are you leading us?"

The wizard said nothing, and ran with the others. Thorin had no choice but to follow Gandalf. It was there Thorin got suspicious. They huddled up by the other sets of stones. A Warg and an Orc was literally on top of them. Violet looked at Bilbo and grasped onto his hand. She also found a protective arm around their chests, which the arm belonged to Dwalin. He mostly had his shoulder digging into Violet. Thorin on Bilbo's left indicated to Kíli to his arrow. Kíli loaded one and fired it at the Warg rider. Now, the entire Orcs knew of the Dwarves' and the hobbits' existences behind the set of boulders.

"Move! Run!" Gandalf shouted.

No one argued, they just ran to wher ethere was an opening, but also Gandalf disappearing in the process. No one knew where he went.

"There's more coming!" Kíli shouted.

"Kíli! Shoot them!" Thorin commanded.

Violet raised up her sword higher as she and Bilbo accidentally went back to back.

"We're surrounded!" Fíli shouted as he ran through.

Kíli shot another arrow, and asked, "Where's Gandalf?"

"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin 'answered'.

Hold your ground." Thorin shouted as he unsheathed Orcrist.

Gandalf realized they all weren't coming, so he came out and yelled, "This way, you fools!"

Thorin stood guard at the base of the cave. "Come on, move! Quickly! All of you!"

Most of the time, they ran and slid. Vi was the first in, as she was tired of fighting, and landed down face on the ground.

"On your feet, Miss Violet," Gandalf said as he lifted her back onto the ground.

"Thank you," Violet said.

"Vi, are you alright?" Bilbo panted.

"Yes. Are you?" Violet asked.

Bilbo nodded at her comment. The others came in next. Kíli was also firing at the wargs.

"KÍLI!" Thorin shouted for his nephew.

He didn't have time to fight them off more, so Kíli ran and fell down the hole. Thorin was the last one. Soon, they heard a horn. One dead Orc came falling down, and Violet took her sword and tapped it to see if it would react. THe Orc did not. The Wargs and the Orcs were scattering. Thorin appeared on Violet's side and took the arrow from the Orc's carcass.

"Elves," the Mountain King sneered before throwing the arrow on the ground.

Gandalf stared at Thorin for a while. Dwalin went to see where the path led, but it was to no avail.

" I cannot see where the pathway leads. Do we follow it or not?" Dwalin shouted to the company.

"Follow it of course, Bofur said as the others scuttled off.

"I think that would be wise," Gandalf acreed.

Bilbo and Violet knew Gandalf had something up his sleeve, so they stayed with him.

"Gandalf. Where are we?" Bilbo asked.

"You can feel it?" Gandalf asked. The hobbits looked at him.

"Of course we can," Violet agreed.

"It feels like... Well..." Bilbo said, but couldn't put a finger on it.

"Like magic," Bilbo and Violet said together.

"That's exactly what it is. A very powerful magic," Gandalf said.

"There's light ahead." Dwalin called.

That ended their conversation with Gandalf for that day. When the Company reached out of the cave, Bilbo and Violet were immediately stunned while the dwarves were disappointed to find where they were.

"The Valley of Imladris," Gandalf explained. "In the common tongue, it's known by another name.

"Rivendell," Bilbo answered.

" Here lies the last Homely House east of the sea."

"This was your plan all along, to seek refuge with our enemy," Thorin sneered.

 _Can't we go one day without His Majesty's childish-like attitude,_ Violet thought.

"You have no enemies here, Thorin Oakenshield," Gandalf told the angry dwarf (snapping at him if he were a child. "The only ill-will to be found in this valley is that which you bring yourself."

Violet's eyes widen and Bilbo looked between the two sides, but they didn't say anything.

"You think the Elves will give our quest their blessing?" Thorin asked. "They will try to stop us.

"Of course, they will," Gandalf said. "But we have questions that need to be answered. If we are to be successful this will need to be handled with tact, and respect, and no small degree of charm, which is why you will leave the talking to me."

"We've actually never been in one before," Violet told Bilbo. They smiled at each other. "I mean, I know Mrs. Baggins had all those maps that we've always used."

"Vi, it was mostly _you_ who had studied Mother's maps while I looked at them alone without you even looking."

"Ah-ha!" Violet said. As a child, she remembered them being in different places, and Mrs. Baggins would often enough "So you're the one who had always moved Belladonna's maps around the house when I couldn't find them."

"Oh, buzz off Violet," Bilbo said as he lightly pushed her.

They stepped in the city with the golden sun shining down. It was getting ready to set, as the day was almost over (From now on, Vi called it the "City of the Sun"). She did hear the elf talking to the elderly man in a language she'd never heard of before.

 _I'm guessing that is the Lord's right-hand or personal manservant, or whatever_ , Violet thought.

"I must speak with Lord Elrond," Gandalf said.

They heard him speak in Weston from there on out.

"My Lord Elrond is not here," the elf said.

"Not here? Where is he?" Gandalf asked.

Thorin ordered they'd form a defense circle. Bilbo was grabbed by Bofur and set into the center of the group. Dori was doing the same thing with her.

"Alright, Master Dori," Violet said as she took her arm out of his grasp. "No need to shove."

Violet realized they acted as if they were under attack or something. Apparently, the dwarves made their hatred against Elves quite clear. Compared to the elves, the dwarves, Violet and Bilbo were very short. They were like helpless children

"Gandalf!" Elrond called to his friend.

"Lord Elrond," Gandalf returned the favor.

They started speaking that elven language again, something Violet could not understand. She knew a couple of lines, but couldn't spit them out for her insane.

"Strange for orcs to come so close to our borders," Elrond said in English. "Something or someone has drawn them near."

"That may have been us," Gandalf said

 _Because it_ was _us,_ Violet thought.

Then, Elrond saw the sight of Thorin, his old friend's grandson, standing at the sight of him. He new him personally well.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thráin," Elrond greeted.

"I do not believe we have met," Thorin said.

"You have your Grandfather's bearing," Elrond commented. "I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain."

"Indeed? He made no mention of you," Thorin said.

Elrond said something to them in Elvish. Gloin took it as an insult.

"What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?" Gloin shouted, causing the dwarves to grumble in anger and raise their weapons higher.

"No, Master Glóin," Gandalf said. He translated for them, "He's offering you food,"

Thorin and Company turned around and started consulting each other. Glóin answered to Elrond, "Well, in that case, lead on."

Vi tripped a couple of times, but then Kíli caught her.

"Are you tired, Miss Greenhill?" Kíli asked her.

"I'm fine," Violet said.

"Just trying to make sure you're alright," Kíli told her. It was time for her to enjoy her time in the place her mother said she was born, b ut Violet didn't believe her mother when Mara said she gave birth to her there With Bilbo's mother, Belladonna.


	9. Chapter 9: Of Hidden Messages and Messy

**Chapter 9**

 _ **Of Hidden Messages and Messy Dining Rooms**_

They were allowed to rest for a while before dinner was ready. Eventually, things came to an end, so they preceded their way to the dining tables. Violet and Bilbo sat separately, with Vi sitting with Kíli. Thorin, Elrond, and Gandalf sat at the High Table.

Violet was eating, and she saw Dwalin looked through the plate for meat.

"Where's the meat?" Dwalin asked.

"Have they got any chips?" Ori said while looking at the table for chips.

"Vi, how can you eat that?" Kíli asked as he watched her scarfing it down her throat.

SHe looked at him, and swallowed her last bite. Violet answered Kíli with, "I'm hungry.

Kíli winked at the Elf, Violet noticed. She knew Thorin would not like that his nephew was flirting with one of them. Dwalin was giving them a scowl, but mostly to Kíli.

"Can't say I fancy Elf maids myself. Too thin," Kíli sad, with Dwalin pretending to understand as he nodded. "They're all high cheekbones and creamy skin. Not enough facial hair for me. Although... That one there's not bad."

Violet smiled at Kíli's remark, until she looked back at the Elf that was playing the other harpist.

"Uh Kíli," she said without looking at him. "I think you should check again.

Dwalin heard her, so he told Kíli, "That's not an elf maid."

Back at another dining table, Elrond was overlooking Thorin's sword. He looked at all runes.

"This is Orcrist, the Goblin-cleaver. A famous blade, forged by the High Elves of the West. My kin." Elrond gave the sword back to Thorin. "May it serve you well."

Thorin gave a nod, and then Elrond took Gandalf's sword.

"And this is Glamdring, the Foe-hammer, sword of the King of Gondolin. These swords were made for the Goblin wars of the First..."

Bilbo looked at his sword, wondering also what the name of his Elven dagger would be. Balin, who was sitting next to Bilbo, told him otherwise.

"I wouldn't bother, laddie," Balin advised Bilbo with a sympathatic voice. "Swords are named for their great deeds they do in war."

Bilbo looked at Balin.

"What are you saying, my sword hasn't seen battles?" Bilbo asked.

"I'm not actually sure it is a sword. More of a letter opener, really," Balin sorrowfully admitted.

Bilbo's eyes widen andhis eyebrows almost reached his hair line.

"How did you come by these?" Elrond asked.

"We found them in a troll hoard on the Great East road, shortly before we were ambushed by Orcs," Gandalf explained.

"And what were you doing on the Great East road?" Elrond asked.

"Excuse me," Thorin said, getting up.

"Thirteen Dwarves and two Halflings," Elrond said, unusual by the scene. "Hm. Strange traveling companions, Gandalf."

"These are the descendants of the house of Durin," Gandalf explained, unaware Nori was putting a salt shaker inside his jacket. "They're noble, decent folk. And they're surprisingly cultured. They've got a deep love of the arts."

"Change the tune why don't you!" Nori complained to the Harpist. He twitched his fingers betwen his eyes. "I feel like I'm at a funeral."

"Did somebody die?" Oin asked, not hearing what Nori said.

"All right, lads and fair Violet. There's only one thing for it," Bofur said who sat next to Violet before. He got up on the table and began to sing asong Violet remembered Bilbo wrote. Bofur started singing:

 _There's…an…_

 _Inn, there's an inn._

 _There's a merry old inn_

 _Beneath an old gray hill_

The others joined in, even Viole twho knew the song by heart:

"

 _The ostler has a tipsy cat_

 _That plays a five-stringed fiddle;_

 _And up and down he saws his bow_

 _Now squeaking high, now purring low,_

 _Now sawing in the middle._

 _So the cat on the fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle,_

 _A jig that would wake the dead:_

 _He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune,_

 _While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon:_

 _'It's after three!' he said._ "

Then, the food started to throw around, and one almost hit Lindir, but instead it hit the statue next to where he stood. Now the dwarves were being more then guests. They were being a nuisance.

"Our business is no concern of Elves," Thorin shot with Elrond, Balin, Bilbo, Violet and Gandalf in the room. He refused to give that Elf the map.

"For goodness sake. Thorin, show him the map!" Gandalf pleaded.

"It is the legacy of my people. It's mine to protect!" Thorin shot. Then he glared at Lord Elrond. "As are its secrets."

"Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves," Gandalf sighed. "Your pride will be your downfall. You stand here in the presence of one of the few in Middle-earth who can read that map. Show it to Lord Elrond!"

Thorin thought for a moment but then reluctantly gave his fathers map to the Elven lord. He would have but Balin would try to stop him. Thorin instead brushed his arm away and handed it to Lord Elrond.

Elrond read it. "Erebor. What is your interest in this map?"

"It's mainly academic, Gandalf said before Thorin could say something. "As you know, this sort of artifacts sometimes contains hidden text."

Thorin shot Gandalf a grateful look when the wizard looked at him.

"You still read ancient dwarvish, do you not?" Gandalf asked

"Cirth ithil," Elrond said.

"What is Cirth ithil?" Violet asked shyly and curiously.

"Moon runes, my dear" Gandalf said. Bilbo shot him a confused look. "An easy thing to miss."

"Well in this case, that is true," Elrond said as he looked at the map. " Moon runes can only be read by the light of the moon of the same shape and season as the day on which they were written."

"Can you read them?" Thorin asked hopefully.

"These runes were written on a mid-summer's eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly two hundred years ago," Elrond explained to the hobbits, the dwarves and the wizards. They'd gather around a crystalized table as Elrond laid the map out. "It would seem you were meant to come to Rivendell. Fate is with you, Thorin Oakenshield. The same moon shines upon us tonight."

It was amazing site to see actually. It was warm in the air, but the moon was blocked by clouds. So, that was when the moon came from the clouds and light shined on the map. Blue ink appeared, so Elrond began reading it.

" _Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole._ "

"Durin's Day?" Bilbo asked Balin.

"It is the start of the dwarves new year," Gandalf said (instead of Balin speaking), "when the last moon of Autumn and the first sun of Winter appear in the sky together."

"Who is that?" Violet asked. She saw

"This is ill news," Thorin realised. "Summer is passing. Durin's Day will soon be upon us."

"We still have time."

"Time for what?" Bilbo asked.

"To find the entrance," Balin told Bilbo. "We have to be standing at exactly the right spot at exactly the right time. Then, and only then, can the door be opened."

"So this is your purpose, to enter the Mountain." Elrond said.

"What of it?" Thorin snapped.

"There are some who would not deem it wise," Elrond answered as Thorin scowled and took the scroll from the table.

"Who do you mean?" Gandalf asked.

"You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle-earth."

"What is he talking about, Gandalf?" Violet asked.

Gandalf washed away his expression away and smile none to comfortly at Violet.

"Just some of my counsil buisness, dear Violet. Nothing more."

"We're staying here for a couple of days, no more no less," Thorin said. "Now, get some sleep."

"Great, see you tomorrow," Violet said as she raced back to the chambers and went to bed, finally.


	10. Chapter 10: A Family Madness

**Chapter 10**

 **A Family Madness**

Unlike his Companions, Bilbo was actually enjoying the view of Rivendell. One sight was a painting with some men fighting. Then in the black-armored man's finger was one golden ring, and Bilbo was intrigued by the ring more. After more traveling, there was beauty everywhere and birds flying by.

Then, he was alone on the balcony, enjoying the summer breeze, not even journey."

"Indeed? I've heard that Hobbits are very resilient." Elrond said something that Bilbo never expected. He looked at the Lord of Rivendell in surprise.

"Really?" They were silent until Elrond spoke again.

"I've also heard they're fond of the comforts of home."

Bilbo whispered, "I've heard that it's unwise to seek the council of Elves, that they will only answer with 'Yes' and 'No'."

Elrond looked skeptically at Bilbo. Mister Baggins was at first insecure of himself, and then Elrond smiled again. This action caused Bilbo to chuckle.

Elrond places his hand on Bilbo's shoulder before leaving, and offering, "You are very welcome to stay here, if that is your wish."

Then, he left, leaving Bilbo to ponder a while.

"The kitchen's under enormous strain, we are almost out of wine," Lindir complained to Elrond while they walked alone. "How long do you think they will be with us?"

"That has yet to be decided," the Rivendell Lord answered.

The air in the breeze actually had Violet have chills appear on her amrs. The most terrifying thing she saw on this quest this bad were the dwarves were nude.

"OH MY VALAR!" she screamed.

The dwarves were now ashamed at her looking at them. She quickly ran out of the fountain area. Then Lord Elrond appeared.

"So sorry, I—I saw the unexpected.

"I am sorry that I can't control your dwarves. So am I Violet agreed. The Elven lord smiled at her and pet her on the shoulder. You're a fine souldear Violet, You remind me of your mother.

"You know my mother.""

"Yes, Marah Cauliflower."

Violet nodded. "Yeah, that's my mother.

"She like you was very shy, but high spirited and you are more than welcomed to stay."

He touched her shoulder lightly before turning and walking away. She thought of it for a moment, but then Bilbo came into mind, deciding to search for him. Instead she would find Thorin watching her. She didn't even know he was there until he spoke.

"So will you take his offer?" Thorin wondered.

"Do I have to answer?" she asked.

"Yes, Miss Greenhill, it is," the dwarf said, towering over her (since towering over her was the only way to talk with him in her personal space).

"Um…"

"That's not an answer."

"No, I'm not going to. If you'd think that Bilbo and I would leave each other behind, it would never happen. He won't ever abandon me. We're like family, and family never abandons family."

"Then let's hope he never does stay without you, or think about it," Thorin said. "Good day, Miss Violet."

"Good day," Violet said skeptically before walking away.

Bilbo still was exploring Rivendell from the afternoon into the evening. Then, he stopped on the staircase. Bilbo heard Elrond and Gandalf talking as they walked. Bilbo was curious and stopped to look and watch them. Bilbo made sure that no one else would see him eavesdrop. He didn't mean to eavesdrop (or maybe he did) and listened to them speak.

"Of course I was going to tell you," Gandalf was saying. "I was waiting for this very chance. And really, I think you can trust that I know what I am doing."

"Do you? That dragon has slept for 60 years. What will happen if your plan should fail, if you wake that beast?"

"What if we succeed? If the Dwarves take back the mountain our defenses in the east will be strengthened."

They went unaware that they had audience. Bilbo was listening to their entire conversation. He looked behind him to see that Thorin was overhearing them as well. He made no move and just allowed Bilbo to listen.

"It is a dangerous move, Gandalf."

"It is also dangerous to do nothing. Oh, come, the throne of Erebor is Thorin's birthright. What is it you fear?"

"Have you forgotten? A strain of madness runs deep in that family. His grandfather lost his mind. His father succumbed to the same sickness. Can you swear Thorin Oakenshield will not also fall? Gandalf, these decisions do not rest with us alone. It is not up to you or me to redraw the map of Middle-earth."

Thorin and Bilbo said nothing to each other. They stared at each other silently.

"Might I ask why you're so far away from Ms. Greenhill, Master Baggins?" Thorin asked.

"We just wanted to be alone for the day," Bilbo answered as he walked down the steps, taking it Thorin wanted him "safely" in their room.

Gandalf was saying, "With or without our help, these dwarves will march on the mountain. They're determined to reclaim their homeland. I do not believe Thorin Oakenshield feels that he's answerable to anyone. Nor for that matter am I."

"It's not me you must answer to,"

"Lady Galadriel," the Istar answered and smiled as she turned to them.

"Mithrandir," Galadriel says with a smile. "It has been a long time."

"Age may have changed me, but not so the lady of Lorien," Gandalf says in Elvish. "I had no idea Lord Elrond had sent for you.

"He didn't. I did," a deep voice said. This made Gandalf turn to Saruman.

"Saruman, Gandalf said as he looked to Saruman.

"You've been busy of late, my friend," Saruman said with a smile.

 _ **Later as Dawn broke…**_

"Tell me, Gandalf, did you think these plans and schemes of yours would go unnoticed?" Saruman asked.

"Unnoticed? No, I...I'm simply doing what I feel to be right," Gandalf answered.

"The dragon has long been on your mind," Galadriel realises.

"It is true, my Lady. Smaug owes allegiance to no one. But if he should side with the enemy, the dragon could be used to terrible effect."

"What enemy? Gandalf, the enemy is defeated," the White wizard reasoned. "Sauron is vanquished. He can never regain his full strength."

"Does it not worry you that the last of the Dwarf rings should simply vanish, along with its bearer?" Gandalf asked the Counsil. "Of the seven Dwarf rings, four were consumed by dragons two were taken by Sauron before he fell in Mordor. The fate of the last Dwarf ring remains unknown. The ring that was worn by Thráin."

"Without the ruling Ring of Power, the seven are of no value to the enemy," Saruman rebuked. "To control the other rings he needs the One. And that ring was lost long, long ago. It was swept out to sea by the waters of the Anduin."

Elrond: Gandalf, for four hundred years we have lived in peace. A hard won watchful peace.

"Are we?" Gandalf asked. "Are we at peace? Trolls have come down from the mountains, they are raiding villages, destroying farms. Orcs have attacked us on the road."

"Hardly a prelude to war," Elrond said.

"Always you must meddle. Looking for trouble where none exists!"

"Let him speak," the Lady of Lothlórien requested.

"There is something at work beyond the evil of Smaug, something far more powerful," Gandalf explained. "We can remain blind to it, but it will not be ignoring us, that I can promise you. A sickness hides over the Greenwood. The woodsmen who live there now call it Mirkwook, and...uh, they s...they say..."

He stopped himself.

"Well, don't stop now, tell us what the woodsmen say?"

"They speak of a Necromancer, living in Dol Guldur, a sorcerer who can summon the dead."

"That's absurd. No such power exists in this world. This Necromancer is nothing more than a mortal man. A conjurer dabbling in black magic."

"And so I though too. But Radagast has seen..."

"Radagast? Do not speak to me of Radagast the Brown. He's a foolish fellow."

"Well, he's odd, I grant you. He lives a solitary life."

"It's not that," Saruman snapped. "It's his excessive consumption of mushrooms. They've addled his brain, and yellowed his teeth. I warned him. It is unbefitting one of the Istari wandering the wood...

" _You carry something. It came to you from Radagast, he found it in Dol Guldur_ ," Galadriel says to Gandalf.

 _Yes_ , Gandalf answered.

 _Show me_ she demanded.

Gandalf brings out the sword Radagast gave him wrapped in cloth.

"What is that?" Elrond asked, looking at the bundle full of cloth that Gandalf had just laid down.

"A relic of Mordor," Galadriel said, befor Elrond even touched the cloth. He eventually unfolded it to refeal the sword that Radagast had seen in Dol Guldur.

"A Morgul blade," Elrond said.

"Made for the witch-king of Angmar, and buried with him," she explained. "When Angmar fell, the men of the North took his body, and all that he possessed and sealed it within the high fells of Rhudaur. Deep within the rock they buried him, in a tomb so dark it would never come to light."

"This is not possible," the Lord of Rivendell says. "A powerful spell lies upon those tombs, they cannot be opened."

"What proof do we have this weapon came from Angmar's grave?" inquired Saruman

"I have none," Gandalf answered.

"Because there is none. Let us examine what we know. A single orc pack has dared to cross the Bruinen. A dagger from a by-gone age has been found. And a human sorcerer who calls himself the Necromancer, has taken up residence in a ruined fortress. It's not so very much, after all. The question of this dwarvish company however, troubles me deeply. I'm not convinced, Gandalf. I do not feel I can condone such a quest. If they'd come to me, I might have spare them this disappointment. I will not pretend to understand your reasons for raising their hopes—"

The White Wizard's voice zoned out as Gandalf heard Galadriel talking telepathelically to him.

"I'm afraid there's nothing else for it," Saruman says.

"My Lord Elrond," Lindir interrupted the meeting. "The dwarves, they've gone.

 _ **~V~**_

Dawn was almost breaking. Bilbo saw Violet but said nothing as they walked up the path.

"Be on your guard, we're about to step over the Edge of the Wild," Thorin warned his company. Then he softly smiled at Balin. "Balin, you know these paths, lead on."

"Aye." Balin said as he led the company.

"Hey, are you awake?" Violet said as she went next ot Bilbo's side.

"Yes I am" Bilbo assured.

Vi offered Bilbo a smile before continuing on the road. It was just easy to say Thorin was watching Bilbo with his hawkeye. He probably knew Bilbo would want to stay.

"Master Baggins, I suggest you keep up," Thorin said.

And Bilbo glanced at the Last Homely House one last time.

 _ **~V~**_

You will follow them," Galadriel said but not in a question form. " You are right to help Thorin Oakenshield. But I fear this quest has set in motion forces we do not yet understand. The riddle of the Morgul blade must be answered. Something moves in the shadows, unseen, hidden from our side, it will not show itself...not yet. But every day it grows in strength. You must be careful."

"Yes," Gandalf said as he stepped off to the steps and started walking away.

Then her voice stopped him.

"Mithrandir." the Lady of Light said. "Why the Halfling?"

"I do not know. Saruman believes that it is only a great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I've found it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk, that keep the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins and Violet Greenhill? Perhaps it is because I'm afraid and they give me courage."

"Do not be afraid, Mithrandir," Galadriel said as she grabbed Gandalf's hands gently. "You are not alone. If you should ever need my help, I will come." With that Galadriel was gone leaving Gandalf alone.


	11. Chapter 11: The Misty Mountains

**Chapter 11**

 _ **The Misty Mountains**_

The Company passed by and settled down for a while in the wilderness. Then they continued on into the misty mountains, where Violet and Bilbo were further apart. Violet snuggled in between Fíli and another dwarf while Bilbo was in between Dwalin and Bofur.

"Hold on!" Thorin shouted as he led the company foreward into the Misty Mountains.

"Just don't look down," Fíli said as he squeezed her shoulder.

Meanwhile, Bilbo Baggins was in between Dwalin and Bofur in the line. As the male hobbit walked, the rock under his foot gave up on him. Bilbo almost fell until Dwalin and Bofur pushed him back on where he was safe again, and Bofur's hand on Bilbo's shoulder.

"We must find shelter!" Thorin shouted to his company.

"Watch out!" Dwalin roared. Above them a massive boulder hurtled through the air, hitting the mountain side above them.

"This is no thunderstorm," Balin shouted through the rain andn wind. There were stone-giants, who Violet remembered where in Gandalf's tales when she and Bilbo were chilldren.

"Well bless me, the legends are true. Giants; Stone Giants!"

"Take cover: you fool!" Thorin shouted at Bofur. Nori pulled him away. The first giant threw a boulder to the second one The company was literally splitting apart.

"Come here Violet," Fíli said as he hugged her with one of his arms and clutched her against his chest and reached out for Kili's hand. "Kili! Grab my hand! Ki..."

The mountain already split. Bilbo and Dwalin were clutching each other's shoulder with one hand. They were scared and yelled as the mountain crashed with another one. Violet quickly moved her face into Fíli's wet furs of hisi jacket before it apparently crushed all of them.

No! No! Fíli! Fíli!" Thorin shouted. The others started running in concern.

"We're all right! We're alive!" Balin said to the company in relief.

"Where's Bilbo? Where's the other Hobbit?" Bofur shouted.

"Over here, fools," Violet shouted as she tried to reach for her friend. "Bilbo! Come on!"

"Get him! Give Violet a hand!" Dwalin shouted in concern. All of the dwarves tried to get Bilbo, mostly Bofur Ori and Violet.

Grab my hand! Bilbo!" Bofur shouted at him. As Bilbo reached out for him, Bilbo slipped again, hanging on for dear life.

Thorin realized that the Dwarves could not help Bilbo, no matter how much they tried. So, he swung down next to Bilbo and grabbed the Hobbit to hoist him up while the others pulled Bilbo safely. Thorin meanwhile was falling from the cliff until it took Dwalin to save the King.

"I thought we'd lost our burglar," Dwalin said in what was relief that they'd actually lost him. Thorin shot Bilbo a very deathly glare.

"He's been lost ever since he left home," Thorin berated. "He should never have come. He has no place amongst us. Dwalin!"

He moved on and treated Bilbo like trash. This made Mr. Baggins feel worse. They all moved on and found a cave. Most of them settled on the ground.

"Right then! Let's get a fire started!" Glóin said as he rubbed his hands together.

"No, no fire," Thorin told Glóin, who groaned disappointed. "Not in this place. Get some sleep. We start at first light."

"We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us," Balin said. "That was the plan."

"Plans change," Thorin said. He turned to Bofur and required he take first watch.

A couple moments earlier, Bilbo made sure that they all were asleep. Of course, he forgot the guard who had been keeping watch. He wanted to go back to Rivendell after hearign Thorin's hurtful words. Violet Greenhill was more of a Cauliflower than a Greenhill. He was not like Violet at all. The hobbit stroked her hair and then got up to leave.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Bofur exclaimed in a whisper.

Bilbo froze, forgetting Bofur was awake keeping watch. The hobbit turned back to Bofur.

"Back to Rivendell," Bilbo answered.

"No, no," Bofur said, as he already cared about the Hobbit by now. He jumped up and went in front of Bilbo. "You can't turn back now, you're part of the Company. You're one of us."

"I'm not though, am I?" Bilbo pointed out, and made Bofur sad. "Thorin said I should never have come, and he was right. I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins, I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have run out my door."

Unbeknown to him and Bofur, Thorin was awake. He heard Bilbo and Bofur talking, and just stared at the wall.

"You're homesick; I understand," Bofur said sympathetically.

"No, you don't, you don't understand!" Bilbo snapped in anger. "None of you do - you're dwarves. You used to - to this life, to living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere."

This made Bofur offended and sadden. Bilbo just realized what he said, and regretted the words he said.

"I am sorry, I didn't..." Bilbo stammered. He sighed and looked down, not thinking what to say.

"No, you're right," Bofur said, which unexpectedly Bilbo's reaction. "We don't belong anywhere. I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do."

Bofur smiled and clasped Bilbo on his shoulder. The Hobbit did the same putting his hand on Bofur's arm. Then, he turned to leave.

"What's that?" Bofur asked as Bilbo looked to his sword. It was glowing that blue color again. It meant that Orcs or Goblins were nearby.

"Wake up!" Thorin shouted. "WAKE UP!"

The ground started to cave in and everyone in Thorin's company fell several tunnels and Bombur landed on top of them. Violet screamed for him to get off of them when Goblins started coming and attacking them. Violet was not in a mood for this, neither were they or the Goblins that started attacking them. Most of the dwarves started struggling. There were too many of them and most of them were herded. Realizing he was forgotten, Bilbo fell to the ground and watched the goblins snatch his friends away. Then he forgot that Violet was one of the following. No way were the Goblins going to hurt his friends and Thorin. He took out his sword to follow until a goblin comes and attacked him. Bilbo tried to keep on fighting it, but it bit his shoulder before they fought and fell into the cavern. Bilbo landed on something soft before blacking out, knowing nothing more.


	12. Chapter 12: Goblins and Riddles in the D

**Chapter 12**

 **Goblins and Riddles in the Dark**

They took every weapon from them. Violet's Orcbane was stolen and she wanted it back. Right now she was there in between Dwalin and Thorin. They were listening to the Goblin's terrible song as they were herded to the front.

"Clap snap, the black crack

Grip, grab, pinch, and nab

Batter and beat

Make 'em stammer and squeak!

Pound pound, far underground

Down, down, down in Goblin Town

With a swish and smack

And a whip and a crack

Everybody talks when they're on my rack

Pound pound, far underground

Down, down, down in Goblin Town

Hammer and tongs, get out your knockers and gongs

You wont last long on the end of my prongs

Clash, crash, crush and smish

Bang, break, shiver and shake

You can yammer and yelp

But there aint no help

Pound pound, far underground

Down, down, down in Goblin Town."

The song was blissfully off.

"Catchy, isn't it? It's one of my own compositions." the Goblin King said.

"That's not a song. It's an abomination!" Balin shouted.

"Abomination. Mutations. Deviations. That's all you're gonna find down here." Goblin King said.

"I'm going to kill him," Violet sneered and almost charged. Then Thorin caught her with his right arm and pulled her back.

"And then get yourself killed?" Thorin snapped at her. "Not a chance."

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?" The Great Goblin asked his goblins.

"Dwarves and a halfling, your Malevolence." the Goblin, Grinnah answered

"Dwarves? A halfling?" the Great Goblin shouted.

"We found them on the front porch." Grinnah said. He despised the king, but didn't admit it.

"Well don't just stand there, search them! Every crack, every crevice!" the Great Goblin shouted.

Nori grimaced when the things from Rivendell fell from his pack. Grinnah took the candle, looked at it.

"It is my belief, your great protuberance, that they are in league with Elves!" he cried and the Goblin took it.

He read the inscription on it.

"'Made in Rivendell', ack!" the Greaty Goblin cried and threw it into the hole. "'Second Age.' Couldn't give it away."

Dwalin and Dori gave Nori a sneer. Violet turned and shook her head. Of course it was him. Dori most of all scowled at his brother. Nori was a shamed but answered, "Just a couple of keepsakes..."

"What are you doing in these parts? Speak!" the Great Goblin demanded, sitting back on his throne.

"Don't worry, lads and lass– I'll handle this" Oin said before Thorin went out and Dwalin restraining him with the hand on his shoulder.

"No tricks! I want the truth! Warts and all!"

"You're going to have to speak up." Oin brought up his horn. "Your boys have flattened my trumpet."

"I'll flatten more than your trumpet!" he shouted and about to attack them.

"If it's more information you're wanting, I'm the one you should speak to!" Bofur shoute d before they were trampled on.

"Start with why do you have that with you," Goblin King pointed to Violet.

"Found her helplessly on the road," Bofur answered. "That's beside the point. We were on the road...well, it's not so much a road as a path...actually, it's not even that, come to think of it, it's more like a track. Anyway, the point is we were on this road, like a path, like a track, and then we weren't! Which is a problem, because we were supposed to be in Dunland last Tuesday."

"Visiting distant relations" Dori added.

"Some inbreds on me mother's side." Bofur added.

"Shut up!" the Goblin king said, now angered than ever. "Very well, if they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring up the mangler, bring up the bone breaker! Start with the youngest and the ladies first." He pointed at Ori and Violet as she moved him aside.

"Wait!" Thorin shouted, sparing Violet and Ori from a terrible fate.

"Well, well, well! Look who it is! Thorin, son of Thráin, son of Thror, king under the mountain," the Goblin mocked him. "Oh! But I'm forgetting you don't have mountain, and you're not a king. Which makes you nobody really. I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head, nothing attached. Perhaps you know of whom I speak, an old enemy of yours. A pale orc astride a white warg."

"Azog the Defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago"

"So you think his defiling days are done, do you?" the Goblin mocked. "Send word to the pale orc, tell him I have found his prize.

After a fall like that, you'd just assume that you'd be dead by the time you fell, but our Mr. Baggins was lucky. He fell on large mushrooms while the unfortunate Goblin of the Misty Mountains that attacked Bilbo fell on the hard floor, severely injured, and dying. One white glowing eyes and a creature struggling with the creature until it knocked the Goblin unconscious again, and dragged the thing away.

Bilbo, with his sword in hand noticed something. Something that was on the ground. The hobbit picked up the small golden ring off of the floor and put it in his pocket. From far away, Bilbo could hear the screams of the Orc and the attacks the creature was giving it. Bilbo watched in horror behind a rock after a while. When the Goblin was dead, Bilbo watched as the sword no longer glowed blue. As he turned, the Gollum was gone.

It wasn't until Gollum peered over and landed in front of a frightened Bilbo.

"Bless us and splash us, precious. That's a meaty mouthful." Gollum is about to attack Bilbo, until the little hobbit brings it up to Gollum's neck. He started to slash it back and forth.

"Back. Stay back. I'm warning you, don't come any closer." poor Bilbo shouted.

"It's got an Elfish blade, but it's not an Elfes. Not an Elfes, no. What is it, precious? What is it?" Gollum asked.

"My name...is Bilbo Baggins," Bilbo said frightened. "I'm a...hobbit from the Shire."

"Oh! We like goblinses, batses and fishes, but we hasn't tried Hobbitses before! Is it soft? Is it juicy?" Gollum came closer until Bilbo slashed his sword over again.

"Now! Now, keep...keep your distance!" Bilbo cried. "I'll use this, if I have too. I don't...I don't want any trouble, you understand? Just show me the way to get out of here, and I'll be on my way."

"Why? Is it lost?"

"Yes. Yes, and I want to get unlost, as soon as possible."

"Oh, we knows! We knows safe path for hobbitses. Safe path in the dark. Shut up!"

"I didn't say anything," Bilbo said.

"Wasn't talking to you!" Gollum sneered. "Oh yes, we...we was, precious, we was.

"Look, I...I don't know what your game is, but I..." Bilbo was saying.

"Games?! Oh, we love games, doesn't we, precious?" Golllum said, then he turned to Bilbo, laughing. "Does it like games? Does it, does it, does it like to play?"

"Maybe," Bilbo ansered.

"What has roots as nobody sees, is taller than trees, up, up, up it goes, and yet never grows?" Gollum asked.

"The mountain," Bilbo answered.

"Yes! Yes! Ooh, let's have another one, huh? Yes. Go, do it again. Do it, do it again, ask us. No! No more riddles. Finish him off, finish him now! Gollum, Gollum!"

"No! No, no, no. I want...I want to play. I do. I want to play. I can see...you are very good at this. Uh...so why don't we have a game of riddles? Yes, just...just...just you and me."

"Yes. Just...just...just us."

"Yes! Yes! And...and if I win, you will show me the way out. Yes?" Bilbo asked.

"Yes. Yes!" Gollum said to himself. "And if it loses, what then? Well, if it loses, precious, then we eats it!"

This caused Bilbo to look up in alarm.

"If Baggins loses, we eats it whole," Gollum said.

Bilbo paused for a second and then answered, "Fair enough."

He put his sword back into his seath.

"The Baggins first" Gollum says.

"Thirty white horses on a red hill. First they champ, then they stamp, then they stand still."

"Teeth? Teeth!" Gollum asked. "Yes, my precious! But we...we only have nine. Our turn. Voiceless it cries, wingless flutters, toothless bites, mouthless mutters."

"Just a minute," Bilbo said and thought for a moment before turning back to Gollum. "Wind. It's wind! Of course it is."

"Very clever, hobbitses. Very clever!"

Bilbo took out his sword before Gollum attacked hima gain. "A...a box without hinges, key or...or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid." Gollum didn't answer. "Well?"

"It's nasty," Gollum said.

"Give up?" Bilbo asked.

"Give us a chance, precious! Give us a chance! Eggses! Eggses! Wet, crunchy little eggses, yes. Grandmother taught us to suck them, yes!"

"We have one for you," Gollum said. He disappeared and Bilbo frantically searched for the harmful creature. "All things it devours; birds, beasts, trees, flowers. Gnaws iron, bites steel, Grinds hard stones to meal. Answer us."

"Give me a moment, please. I gave you a good long while," Bilboprotested. He began to mutter to himself. Then, admitted, "I don't know this one."

"Is it tasty? Is it scrumptious? Is it crunchable!" Gollum said as he appeared out of nowhere.

"Let me think! Let me think."

"It's stuck. Bagginses is stuck. Time's up."

"Time? Ti... The answer is Time," Bilbo said with a smile. He cleared his throat. "Actually, it wasn't that hard."

"Last question. Last chance." Gollum said as he picked up a rock to attack Bilbo with it.

"Okay. Uh..." Bilbo thought.

"Ask us. Ask us!" Gollum demanded.

"Yes. Yes, alright," Bilbo said. He put his hand in his pocket and remembered the ring he had in his possession. "What have I got in my pocket?"

"Well, that's no fair. It's...it's no fair! It's against the rules!" Gollum said as he threw the rock away. "You ask us another one."

"No. No, no, no. You said, ask me a question. Well that is my question. What have I got in my pocket?" Bilbo demanded.

"Three guesses, precious. He must give us three!" Gollm said, holding up two fingers instead of three.

"Three guesses, very well, guess away."

"Handses!"

"Wrong," Bilbo said, who luckily pulled his hand out of his pocket in time. "Guess again."

"Uuh! Fish bones, goblin's teeth, wet shells, bat's wings! Oooh! Aaah! Knife! No, shut up!"

"Wrong, again. Last guess."

"SWtring! Or nothing!" Gollum cried.

"Two guesses at once," Bilbo sing-songed. "Wrong both times."

Gollum cried in frustration and fell on his back.

"So. Come then. I won the game, you promised to show me the way out."

"Did we say so, precious? Did we say so? What has it got in its pocketses?"

"That's no concern of yours. You lost."

"Lost. Lost? Lost?" Gollum said as he went to his loincloth to get the ring, until he realized the Ring he held in his possession was gone and frantically looked for it. "Where is it? Where is it?! No! Aaah! Where is it? Nooo! Lost, lost! Curse us and splash us, my precious is lost!"

Bilbo quickly took the ring out of his pocket and held it behind his back.

"What have you lost?" Bilbo asked.

"Mustn't ask us! Not its business! Nooo! Gollum! Gollum!" the Miserable creature screeched.

A brave lad, Bilbo was but he ran as soon as the creature had realized the ring was in Bilbo's possession and was chased by Gollum to the edge of the earth.


	13. Chapter 13: Out of the Frying Pan

**Chapter 13**

 _ **Out of the Frying Pan**_

Grinnah looked at Orcrist and unseathed it from Thorin's seath. Then he threw it when he brought the blade half way and the other goblins fled in terror. The Great Goblin cowered to his throne.

"I know that sword! It is the Goblin-cleaver! The Biter! The blade that sliced a thousand necks!" he shouted. The goblins started thrashing at them harder.

Slash them, beat them, peel them, kill them all!" the Great Goblin shouted. "Cut off his head!"

The goblins pinned Thorin down and one was about to cut off THorin's head off his shoulders until white light blasted the goblins away. Violet ducked in time before being blasted with the rest of them. The light darkened down and everyone recoiled to see Gandalf the Grey saved their butts (again). No one moved for a while until Violet saw something Thorin needed: his father's key. She took it from the ground and put it around her neck before Gandalf came into a better view.

"Take up arms!" Gandalf shouted. "FIGHT!"

Violet gets back up, takes Orcbane with her and slashing at the other goblins. The Great Goblin was about to hit Nori with his club.

Nori!" Dori cried for his brother. Thorin lunged foreward, stopping the Goblin King from his attack. The Goblin fell into the chasms.

Violet was cornered later on. She looked back at the Goblins attacking her. She brought up her sword.

This is Orcbane. And you will fear its name." Violet threatened and the Goblins shouted and laughed.

That little thing!" The Goblins laughed. They were laughing at Violet but also her short sword. She took her sword and stabbed a goblin in the shoulder. The goblin screamed.

"It was an elvish blade," it said before dying.

More of them came and Violet had to use all her strenght. All of the sudden, Thorin came to defend Violet by taking his sword and slashing at all of them. Violet now realized that he was protecting her. Both of them went back to back with each other and Violet mostly was killing the ones coming from the other direction. One was coming behind Thorin so Violet took her sword and stabbed it in its lower abdomen. Thorin turned and saw her brave deed.

You saved me," Thorin said taken aback.

We can celebrate later, Master Oakenshield, Violet said.

"More are coming."

"Follow me. Quick! Run!" Gandalf shouted.

"Go on, I'm right behind you," Thorin told his ally.

The two of them continued to fight as the goblins continued to attack them. More were coming to the right.

"Post!" Dwalin shouted. "Charge!"

The several of the dwarves took a long post with a point at it and started holding it in front of them like a spear. Goblins are in fact falling as the dwarves attacked them. Violet and Thorin were on their own. Then she was stabbed in the shoulder. There was a non-poisonous sword that hit Violet's shoulder, but not mortally wounding her. Thorin sees her stabbed and took his sword, stabbing the goblin that stabbed her.

"Are you alright?"

"No, I'm not! I've been stabbed! Violet shouted.

The Dwarf lord ripped fabric off his tunic. he took the shoulder of her jacket and then her and bound her shoulder, tying it really tightly. Violet did not need assistance in being carried over Thorin's shoulder. She was fighting really well, despite being wounded in the shoulder.

Cut the ropes!" Thorin demanded. Violet and Dwalin and several others of them, cut it. Kíli was being shot at, but every time an arrow attempted to hit him, the Dwarf prince blocked them with his sword, took a ladder to attack them better with, choking them. Kili dropped the ladder, allowing some of them to cross the bridge and Dwalin broke it off before others followed them.

"Jump!" Thorin shouted at his followers, almost about to grab Violet's armpit."

"No need. I've jumped a swinging bridge before when I was fifteen years old and chasing Bilbo because he stole my earrings," Violet said. She seathed her sword, lunged foreword until Nori and Kili caught her and she nodded at them thankfully. Other dwarves jumped and made it while all of them were fighting and killing Goblins until the Great Goblin busted out finally coming out. The others fell back.

"You thought you could escape me?"the Great Goblin sneered, and knocked Gandalf off his feet and the dwarves caught him before he fell. "What are you going to do now, wizard?"

He hit the Goblin King in the eye and on his stomach, a wound.

"That will do it," the Goblin said before the Grey Wizard took his sword and slashed his throat. It was too much of an impact. The bridge started collapsing and all of the members hung on for dear life. Óin was looking terrified with his eyes opening up. Violet actually clung onto a dwarf (later identified to be Fíli, who had been acting like a big brother to her lately). She rolled from the bridge when it fell.

"Well that could've been worse," Bofur sighed. The Goblin King's corpse landed on them.

"You've got to be joking!" Dwalin cried out. Kíli was looking above him when he saw the goblins coming closer.

"Gandalf!" Kili shouted.

"There's too many, we can't fight them." Dwalin said as he helped Nori up.

"Only one thing will save us. Daylight! Come on!" Gandalf shouted. "Here, on your feet."

That was when all of them broke out into a run.

"Wait, my precious. Wait! Gollum! Gollum!" Gollum cried. Then, when Gollum heard Violet, the Dwarves and Gandalf running, he retreated to the archway and watched them walk out. What Bilbo could not do was call them out and he just watched in dispair. The hobbit was relieved Violet was still alive as they raced out of Goblin town but then he realised something. When they were gone, Bilbo started to take his sword and merciless face then he saw Gollum's face. A sadden, heart-broken face. The Hobbit took pity on that creature and left him alone. He jumped over Gollum instead, and accidentally hit him with his foot.

"Baggins! Thief! Curse it and crush it, we hates it forever!" the creature shouted.

"Five, six, seven, eight. Bifur, Bofur, that's ten. Fíli, Kili, that's twelve," Gandalf counted. Then he counted VIolet. "Violet that's thirteen."

Present and accounted for," Violet said before passing out into Kili, who held her back up. ""And Bombur, that makes thirteen."

He counted them all, but not Bilbo. There were fourteen, not fifteen of them. He looked at Violet. She was the only hobbit there.

"Where's Bilbo? Where is our other hobbit? Where is our other hobbit?!" Gandalf shouted.

Kili and Fíli worriedly searched back and forth but found that Bilbo was not with them. Violet looked around and saw he was gone too.

Bilbo was running down the hill and stopped as the dwarves talked about him.

"Curse that Halfling!" Dwalin shouted. "Now he's lost!"

"I thought he was with Dori!" Glóin said.

"Don't blame me!" Dori protested.

"Well, where did you last see him?" Gandalf asked.

"I think I saw him slip away, when they first collared us," Nori said.

"What happened exactly? Tell me!" Gandalf shouted.

He hid behind a tree while listening to Thorin talking about him next.

"I'll tell you what happened," Thorin said, sounding very angered. "Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He's thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since first he stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone."

Apparently, the dwarves were hurt by this. Some of them didn't care, but Kili and Fíli's reactions were sadden.

"I know Bilbo. He'd never leave me behind. Never leave us," she quickly corrected herself.

He did leave us.

"No he didn't!"

"Sorry Miss Greenhill, but your friend is long gone."

"No he isn't," Bilbo said, earning shocked and relief look from some of the Dwarves.

"Bilbo Baggins, I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life," Gandalf said as he smiled.

"Bilbo!" Violet shouted and hugged her friend in relief before smiling and releasing him. As soon as the two hobbits drew each other apart, Bilbo gave a reassuring hand on Balin's shoulder before facing the others.

"Bilbo, we'd given you up!" Kili said.

"How on earth did you get past the goblins?" Fíli asked.

"How indeed?" Dwalin asked.

"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life!" Gandalf cried.

"Bilbo, we'd given you up!" Kili said, with a relieved smile across his face.

"How on earth did you get past the Goblins?!" Fíli asked curiously.

"How, indeed," Dwalin said looking at the hobbit skeptically.

There was a pregnant and awkward pause while Bilbo put the ring in his pocket. Gandalf saw this but ignored it.

"Well, what does it matter? He's back!" Gandalf said with a smile.

Thorin shot Gandalf A look. "It matters! I want to know." Then his gaze went back to Bilbo. "Why did you come back?"

"Look, I know you doubt me, I know you always have. And you're right, I often think of Bag End," Bilbo said. "I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. See, that's where I belong. That's home. And that's why I came back, cause you don't have one. A home. It was taken from you. But I will help you take it back if I can."

"Run them down! Tear them to pieces!" Azog shouted at his fallowers


	14. Chapter 14: And into the Fire

**Chapter 14**

 _ **And into the Fire**_

There was a silence for a while, but Bilbo saw the blue cloth in the collar of Violet's coat

"Whoa, how did you get the wound on your shoulder," Bilbo asked her.

"It's just a minor wound," Violet said. "Seriously, are you going to tell me—"

Violet's question was cut off by the sound of howling.

 _Great, not this again,_ Violet sneered.

"Out of the frying pan," Thorin said.

" And into the fire," Gandalf added. "Run. Run!"

It was literally the end for Thorin and Company. Wargs coming and attacking them. Violet screamed when one jumped in front of her and Bilbo. He quickly took out his sword and stabbed it on the roof of its mouth, impaling it until it was dead. Bilbo's eyes widen in horror. It was the first creature that Bilbo ever killed.

"Up into the trees, all of you! Come on, climb! Bilbo, Violet climb!"

Gandalf shouted at the hobbits. Bilbo struggled to get the sword out of the warg.

"Bilbo come on!" Violet shouted.

"Go without me!" Bilbo shouted back at her.

She ignored him and pushed the blade with all her might with him. They looked around and the dwarves were already in trees. Bilbo boosted Vi up and she reached out her hand to him and the two hobbits made there way up to the top of the tree.

Unknown to the dwarves, the hobbits, and the wargs and Orcs, Gandalf used his staff to get a butterfly. Thorin Oakenshield noticed a white flash and a pale orc. He brought down a branch. Violet could of sworn she heard him.

"Azog Thorin said in shock.

"I thought Thorin said he was dead," Violet whispered to Bilbo in horror. _Apparently he was wrong._

The mortal enemies met once again.

" _ **Do you smell it? The scent of fear? I remember your father reeked of it,**_ " Azog said. " _ **Thorin son of Thráin.**_ "

Then Azog commanded something I dare not to say. Our Miss Greenhill was squealing when she felt the tree starting to timber. They jumped each tree that almost tumbled until all sixteen of them were trapped in the same tree. Gandalf stuck a pinecone between his fingers and started to light it on fire with his staff.

"Fíli! Gandalf called to the dwarf below. He caught the next pine cone after Gandalf threw it. Fíli shared the fire with Bilbo. Most of them were throwing some. Violet, taking lots of points before when she was littler, threw it good, but not as good as a man but better than an average female. They were cheering before their cheering turned into cries of terror as the last tree caved in and fell down. Kili was currently panicking and keeping a grudge on the branch.

"Kili, hold on," Violet shouted, and grabbed onto him.

She was laying on the fiery strong branch. She almost screamed when she saw Dori and Ori hanging on for dear life on Gandalf's staff. Bilbo watched Thorin as he rose from the flamable branch and running to his death. Now the Dwarf was the White Warg's chew toy. Bilbo would not stand by and watch Thorin die. He carefuly got up and swiftly took out his sword as the Orc was about to behead Thorin. Almost about to make a strike, Bilbo tackled the Orc, knocking him and itbon the floor. He continued to slash at it until the Orc was dead. That was the last memory Thorin saw before he passed out.

That was the final stand as Dwalin, Fíli, Kili and Violet rushed in to protect Thorin and Bilbo. Violet took Orcbane and slashed at Azog's white wolf and managed to stab it in one eye, leaving it blind.

"That's for the Line of Durin!" Violet shouted at Azog.

"And this is for my future family!" She raised it and scarred the White Warg again. That was when the Eagles came, attackign whatever they came for. They were saving Dori and Ori who fell from the sky. Violet looked above and an eagle came towards her. She felt the talons bring her up and onto the back of another one. They were saved from Azog the Defiler.

The eagles flew around the horizon and everyone was tired out by last night's turn of events. Half of the company were concerned about Thorin when he did not wake up.

"Thorin!" Gandalf shouted once he, Thorin, Bilbo Violet and the Company were on the Carrock. The wizard knelt down to the Dwarf king. "Thorin?" Underneath his breath, Gandalf whispered something in a language to revive Thorin, which responded in his eyes flashing back and forth.

"It's alright," Gandalf assured Thorin. "Bilbo is here, he's quite safe."

Kili and Dwalin helped Thorin get back up. He later shrugged them off and Bilbo was relaxed when he saw Thorin awake and alright.

"You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed!" Thorin shouted at Bilbo. "Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild, and you had no place amongst us." Then Thorin's expression went from anger to relief. "I have never been so wrong, in all my life."

Thorin went to embrace Bilbo, much to his shock. Bilbo was at first Thorin back. Most of them were cheering as they hugged and Violet smiled. Thorin looked him over for wounds, seeing Bilbo was fine and then looked to Violet.

"And you Miss Greenhill," Thorin said. He said nothing before hugging her too. I'm sorry I doubted you both."

"No, W...we would have doubted us too," Bilbo said, causing everyone, even Violet to chuckle. "I'm not a hero, nor a warrior. Not even a burglar."

"Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo asked as he looked to the mountain.

"Erebor! The Lonely Mountain. The last of the Great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle-earth," Gandalf explained when they were at the end of the cliff.

"Our home," Thorin said.

"A raven! The birds are returning to the mountain." Oin said once everyone saw the thrush fly over them.

"That, my dear Oin, is a thrush." Gandalf corrected him.

"Well we'll take it as a sign, a good omen," Thorin said as he looked at his hobbit friends.

"You're right. I do believe the worst is behind us," Bilbo said and smiled as the sun rose behind them. One thing for certain was dragons did not like being awoken from their sleep.

 _ **The story continues…**_


	15. Interlude

Interulde

* * *

 **April 24, TA 2940**

 **Bree... On the borders of the Shire**

* * *

One year ago, in the city of Bree a human city on the border of the Shire, it was a very stormy night. The rain raged on, leaving the climate to become hot and mild. A short figure cloaked with heavy weapons carried on his back. He trudged through the muddy road. The rain was beating down on him harder than it had been all night, finding the nearest inn to take shelter. This dark tall figure was Thorin Oakenshield. He passed several unsavory characters. Most of them were men while the others were humans, but also residential hobbits.

No one was enjoying the rain, not even the children playing in it. Thorin, as he passed by a man with carrots, then several others who looked like businessmen. As soon as he reached the nearest, inn, he looked back at the people. To make sure no one was watching him. Partially, his hidden face came out of his very damp cloak. The reason he came down to Bree was he was looking for his father after hearing reports that Thráin had been seen on the borders of Dunland. However, Thorin never found him, nor any sign Thráin was ever there. It was just another hoax like all of Thráin's reported sightings.

Instead of brooding as always when he grabbed a table, Thorin sat down for once for a somewhat quiet evening. However, it still wasn't that very peaceful for all the people laughing, most likely those who only dated a woman or a man once and never saw them again. They were mostly drunk, form all the wine or ale they had just had. Thorin didn't want to get drunk. Not tonight anyways. But he did take his pipe and started smoking at the table.

"Watch it!" the girl snapped, holding a tankard of ale and food, but was still upset by the man bumping into her. She told Thorin as she put down his things.

"Ah, thank you," Thorin said giving her a smile.

Before he could actually get a good meal in his stomach, he glanced on either side of him. There were two men watching him, with murderous glares in their eyes. They advanced towards him when Thorin reached out for his sword…

However, a fabric of grey flashed before Thorin's eyes. He knew who this man was: Gandalf the Grey, a wizard who was one of the few people to see Thráin last alive before the Battle of Moria.

"Mind if I join you?" the wizard asked. Thorin didn't take no for an answer. He sighed in relief and relaxed his hand from his sword, Deathless. The two men backed away from both of them, back into their chairs. He caught the sleeve of a passing serving girl. "I'll have the same." Thorin glared at the old man. "I should introduce myself. My name is Gandalf. Gandalf the Grey."

"I know who you are." Thorin Oakenshield said coolly, at first not looking at him

"Well now, this is a fine chance," Gandalf said with a small laugh. "What brings Thorin Oakenshield to Bree?"

"I received word that my Father had been seen wandering the wilds near Dunland. I went looking, found no sign of him."

Sorrow entered Gandalf's face at the sound of his old friend's name.

"Oh, Thráin," Gandalf said sadly.

Thorin realized something: he was just like the other doubters. The people who doubted Thráin was alive. The people who doubted that he ever survived the battle. His eyes went cold.

"You're like the others," Thorin hissed. "You think he is dead."

"I was not at the Battle of Moria." Gandalf said

"No," Thorin said, and the battle was coming back to him, hearing the screams of his kin fighting in battle. "But I was."

 _ **My grandfather, Thrór, was slain.**_

 _After Azog throws Throe's head on the ground, Thorin cries: "No!" Thorin runs out to avenge his grnadfather's death, but Thráin son of THrór's hand upon his son's shoulder halts Thorin from going any further. Thorin looks at Thráin._

 _"Father." Thorin said._

 _Stay back, Thorin, Thráin said._

"No. I will fight with you." Thorin said.

"Azog means to kill us all." Thráin explains to his son. Thorin looks away from his father and then at Azog then back to his father. "One by one, he will destroy the line of Durin. But by mine's life, he shall not take my son. You will stay here."

 _ **My father led a charge towards the Dimrill Gate. He never returned.**_

 _"Father!" Thorin shouts one last time, but his father disappears into the battle. Momentarily, Thorin was facing the Orc that slain his grandfather. With one move, Thorin slices Azog's fighting arm and leads the charge against the Orcs. However, there is no song, no feast, nor victory for Thorin (recently named Thorin Oakenshield)._

 _ **"Thráin is gone, " they told me. "He is one of the fallen.' At the end of that battle, I searched amongst the slain. To the last body.**_

 **Line division**

"My father was not among the dead," Thorin said, finishing his story

"Thorin," Gandalf said with pity in his voice, "it's been a long time since anything but rumor was heard of Thráin."

"He still lives, I am sure of it." Thorin said confidently.

Suddenly, a thought came to Gandalf. What of the ring that Thrór had worn?

"The ring your grandfather wore, one of the seven given the Dwarf-lords many years ago, what became of it?" Gandalf asked. Thorin just shrugged and then remembered.

"He gave it to my father before they went into battle." Thorin answered.

"So Thráin was wearing it when he..." the wizard stopped and choose his next words carefully. "When he went missing."

Thorin slightly nodded at that when the barmaid returned with the same food Thorin was having. She walked back to the counter and back to work.

"My father came to see you before he went missing," Thorin said as Gandalf went to eat his meal. "What did you say to him?"

"I urged him to march upon Erebor, to rally the seven armies of the dwarves. To destroy the dragon and take back the Lonely Mountain, and I would say the same to you. Take back your homeland."

Thorin shot him a deathly look as he reached for his cup. He was realizing that this was the same pattern that was following his father. He went to drink the ale from his mug.

"This is no chance meeting is it, Gandalf?" Thorin said . He brought the cup up to his lips.

"No, it is not," Gandalf answered. There was a small silence. "The Lonely Mountain troubles me, Thorin. That dragon has sat there long enough, sooner or later darker minds will turn towards Erebor." Thorin still continued looking at Gandalf with somewhat fear in his eyes still present there. "I ran into some unsavory characters whilst traveling along the Greenway. They mistook me for a vagabond."

"I imagine they regretted that." Thorin said with dry humor.

"One of them was carrying a message," Gandalf continue. The Wizard reached into his pocket. Thorin went to touch it to get a better look at it, reaching for it with his hand.

"It is Black Speech," Gandalf said. Thorin then stopped in fear drew his hand back when Gandalf said those two words: Black Speech. "A promise of payment."

"For what?" Thorin asked.

"Your head." Gandalf answered.

Thorin shot Gandalf a feared look. "Someone wants you dead."

If someone wanted him dead, then it must have been for a very terrible painful cause that came upon this person. Thorin did not know what to do, but listen to Gandalf

"Thorin, you can wait no longer. You are the heir to the throne of Durin. Unite the armies of the dwarves, together you have the might and power to retake Erebor. Summon a meeting of the seven dwarf families, demand they stand by their oath."

"The seven armies swore that oath to the one who wields the King's jewel," Thorin said, his voice as low as he could go. "the Arkenstone is the only thing that will unite them, and in case you have forgotten, that jewel was stolen by Smaug."

Thorin looked up and Gandalf looked behind him, seeing that the men were exiting. They had heard enough and were probably going back to the person who sent the unsavory men, report back their findings. There was definately something suspicious about those men. Thorin made up his mind. If they had to take back the Lonely Mountain, then he would take it back with the strongest army he could find. However, a small voice was telling him not to do it, that he should go back to Ered LuiB and forget this meeting ever happened. Then Gandalf looked back at the dwarf.

"What if I were to help you reclaim it?"

"How? The Arkenstone lies half a world away, buried beneath the feet of a fire breathing dragon."

Yes, it does. Which is why we're going to need a burglar and an old friend of mine," Gandalf said with a smile.

"And who are these 'friends' you are thinking of, Gandalf?"

"Hobbits. Two Hobbits, one a male by the name of Bilbo Baggins." Thorin looked at Gandalf as if he grew another head as the wizard explained. "And the other, a woman named-"

"Whoa, a woman?" Thorin asked skeptically. "Women do not belong on quests. They stay where it's safe, while the husband goes out hunting and I will not endanger a woman on the quest, no matter what race she is."

"Then you will surely fail without the both of them. And if you want my help on this, you will accept the woman as well."

Thorin thought to himself for a moment. If having a woman on this company would gain him the wizard, then so be it.

"What is her name?" Thorin asked skeptically.

"Violet Greenhill," Gandalf said.


	16. Chapter 16

Bilbo Baggins and his best friend, Violet Greenhill ran up the fields and rocks. They were sent by Gandalf to spy on Azog's company. It was a few days after they left the Carrock and Violet's wound was on the mends. She had Óin check it once in a while; and he said she was doing fine. Over the course of these couple of months, she and Bilbo grew close to most of the dwarves. Of course, they were already close to Balin, Bofur, Fíli and Kíli at the beginning, but it was becoming clear that they were becoming better friends with the rest of the company. A few days ago, Thorin apologized to them for his absurd behavior. IN fact, one night, Violet talked to Thorin when they were stuck in that cave for a couple of days after a storm hit them, mostly because she was sick herself. However, the hobbits wished to be on first name terms rather than applying mannerisms.

At first, Thorin was reluctant to allow Violet AND Bilbo go out there to scout for the track. However, Gandalf had been able to convince Thorin that the hobbits would be fine. The duo hobbits stood at the rocks. They peered over the rocks where they saw Azog and his company two leagues away from their current location. Azog was quick, but Bilbo was quicker. He and Violet hid from the rocks to avoid the Defiler spotting the two hobbits. Violet sighed in relief at Azog just ignoring their presence. Like mice, the burglars were quiet. Violet turned around and saw they weren't the only ones watching Azog. It was a huge black bear. She yanked on Bilbo's sleeve and he turned and saw what she saw.

"Go, I'll catch up with you," Bilbo whispered to her.

Violet looked unsure at Bilbo, but then reluctantly agreed. Bilbo looked at the big bear. Well, he would face a giant dragon in a few weeks, but this bear wouldn't be anywhere near terrifying. Bilbo thought to himself for a while, but then turned to catch up with Violet and down the path they had just crossed.

LINE DIVISION

Thorin waited anxiously for the hobbits to return from their scouting. He suddenly felt a little bit worried something happened to them. He looked, seeing the rest of the company, waited for Bilbo and Violet to show up out of worry for them; however, there was no sign of them until he heard the sound of rustling from the leaves. Whatever it was, the company was going to get it first. Thorin wasn't paying attention with Orcrist out ready to attack their attacker. He almost brought it for the kill, but the king stopped when a feminine figure. Violet saw that the sword was meant for her, but stopped.

"Whoa, it's only me!" Violet said. Thorin stood down.

"I apologize Miss Greenhill, we did not know it was you," Thorin said to her sincerely.

He lowered his sword. He looked behind Miss Violet alone and grew concerned for the other hobbit's safety.

Thorin asked worriedly, "Where's Master Baggins?"

"Right here!" Bilbo said at the sound of his name. He came next to Violet out of breath. She went over to her best friend and tried to get him better with the water pack she had found still secure on her belt before they left the Misty Mountains.

"How close is the pack?" Thorin asked the hobbits.

"Too close," Bilbo answered. "A couple of leagues, no more, but that is not the worst of it."

"Have the Wargs picked up our scent?" Dwalin inquired.

"Not yet, Dwalin, but they will," Violet answered. All the dwarves circle daround Violet and Bilbo.

"Yeah, we have another problem," Bilbo added, still panting.

"Did they see you two?" Gandalf asked. When the hobbits didn't answer, Gandalf took for the worst and was alarmed. It made everyone nervous to be honest. "They saw you!"

"No, that's not it," Bilbo shook his head.

"What did I tell you?" Gandalf asked, with a smile and pride overcoming him of both Violet and Bilbo. "Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material."

Everyone besides Thorin, Bilbo and Violet chuckled. He was too busy being wary of the orcs and Wargs gaining on them. It was even Bilbo and Violet who were worrying of the Orcs, the Wargs, and the skin changer following them.

"Will you listen?" Violet said, but the dwarves were too excited. "HEY!"

The dwarves stopped chuckling and were now paying attention at her.

"We're trying to tell you there is something else out there," Bilbo said, pointing back the direction he and Violet came from. Thorin did not like the sound of that, sharing looks with Dwalin and rolling his eyes. The other dwarves went from excitement to worry.

"What form did it take?" Gandalf asked suspiciously. "Like a bear?"

"Ye..." Bilbo began answering, but he was taken aback. Violet's look made him realize that Gandalf knew what he and Violet were talking about. "Yes, but bigger. Much bigger."

"You knew about this beast?" Bofur questioned.

Gandalf didn't answer. He just turned away with most of the dwarves looking accusingly at Gandalf. This beast was a skin-changer. He chose whatever form he wanted, whether it be a bear or a man. It had been a long time since he heard that man's name. He wasn't looking at the dwarves no more, but thinking. If they could get to the skin-changer's house, then he would either help them, or not at all.

"I say we double back," Bofur suggested.

"I would not think that would be a wise idea, Bofur," Violet said.

"She's right," Thorin agreed with Violet. "If we double back, we'll be run down by a pack of Orcs."

The dwarves were quarreling with each other gently.

"There is a house," Gandalf said. The company stopped bickering and looked at Gandalf surprised. Most of them thought to themselves: Why did you not say something soon, Wizard? Others thought: Why are we standing around here then still? They were shooting him both surprised and dangerous looks.

"It's not far from here," Gandalf said, "Where we might take refuge."

"Whose house? Are they friend or foe?" Thorin asked.

"Neither. He will help us, or he will kill us," Gandalf answered the dwarves. They were very uneasy right now.

"Our choices are limited," Violet said, the dwarves looking at her, "Either be killed by a pack of Orcs slash Wargs, or try seeking refuge with a person who will spare us or kill us.

"Does it matter, Vi?" Kíli asked. "Neither one of our options sound good."

"You're right, Miss Greenhill," Thorin told her, "What choice do we have?"

A roar split into the early morning. This limited all of their options.

"None," Gandalf answered the three quarreling members.


End file.
